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Entries tagged with coercion

"I'm telling you, they suspect something," the young man ran his hand agitatedly through his long curls and paced back and forth in the empty hanger.

"How d'you know? Have they said anything?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Well, nothing," the detective with the pale blue eyes turned away with a dismissive gesture.

"Stop!" Putting a hand on the taller man's shoulder, the angry man's voice rose in volume. "I'm a guide, remember? You kept me there even though you know it's difficult for me because I'm a guide. I can feel things, remember? Surely what I've given you already is enough to take them down, no?"

"Guide Sandburg," the detective swung round dislodging the hand on his shoulder. He loomed over the shorter man and took a step forward pushing the other man towards the wall. "I haven't forgotten anything. Perhaps though, you've forgotten that we still haven't found your mother and if we can't find your mother we can't protect her, can we?"

"Jim, careful," the voice was so soft only the sentinel heard it making him stop advancing on his prey.

"Sorry, Joel," the words were conciliatory, but the tone matched the cold eyes. "Guide Sandburg, I know it's difficult, but we've almost got what we need. We need the big names, though, or they'll simply go elsewhere and start all over again. Just a couple of days more. You know that by getting what we need you'll be saving hundreds of guides from a fate worse than death." He watched the features before him flow into lines of resignation.

"Okay," Sandburg blew out a breath, "but if I get the slightest hint that anything's going to happen, I'm like, so out of there."

The detective slapped his shoulder and with an obviously false smile pushed him towards the hangar doors. "We have a sentinel team on constant watch, so they'll be there if anything goes down."

"But they can't hear past the white noise generators. I mean Dr Touring's developed this mega…"

"Sandburg… Blair. We have everything under control. Trust us. Trust me as a cop and a sentinel. You have your alarm, so if anything happens use it. Okay?"

Blair snorted, but allowed himself to be pushed out of the doors. He climbed into his battered Corvair and with a backward glance at the two men watching him he drove off.

Joel Taggart, former bomb squad captain and now working in Cascade PD's Major Crimes opened his mouth, but was interrupted.

"Don't start, Taggart," the voice almost growled.

"Ellison," a single word, softly spoken and Cascade's Senior Sentinel Prime, Major Crimes Detective First Grade James Ellison's shoulders slumped.

"Don't you think it's hard for me to send a guide into possible danger? But we need the information. God knows what those bastards are doing to them. Some of them are only children for God's sake!" He started towards the two men had left their car and Taggart had to hurry to catch up.

"I may not be a sentinel, but I also understand the need to save someone, ANYONE, from suffering. However, I also think that that boy needs to know that his mother's dead."

Ellison stopped and turned so quickly that Taggart had to take a step back to avoid being flattened. "And then what? He'd pull out and we won't get the names at the top. We've been on this for months. It won't make any difference if we arrest the lowlife. Those bankrolling this will simply go elsewhere and we'll be back to zero again."

"You're preaching to the choir, here." Taggart's normally calm voice held a hard edge. "I just think you're underestimating him. He's seen some pretty horrible things in those labs, had some bad things happen to him as well, but he's stuck it out for nearly six months now."

Ellison waved a hand in what could have been taken as an insult if the men didn't know each other so well. "He's just a grad student, Joel, not a cop."

"A grad student that's been on expeditions in dangerous situations…"

"And he's a guide."

And there lay the crux of the matter. Although great strides had been made in improving the laws regarding guides they were still seen as being weaker and needing to be protected. Ellison being a Dark Sentinel felt this even stronger than normal sentinels. It was tearing up him inside that guides were being illegally experimented on and that he was having to use another guide to bring the lab down. Unfortunately, this frustration often came out in misplaced anger.

Despite being found to be a remarkably strong guide at an early age, Sandburg's mother had defied convention and had refused to have him enrolled into a guide school. She travelled around the world taking her son with her and educated him herself. Which meant that everyone was amazed when Blair started university early, sailed through his degree and Masters and was now working towards his Ph.D at only 24 years of age.

However, this also brought him to the attention of some unsavoury characters. They'd lured him into their clutches through grants and interesting projects researching guide genetics. Chancellor Edwards from Rainier University had encouraged him to accept their offer, which surprised him a bit as she'd never been terribly enthusiastic towards the young student. Blair, unfortunately, proved that his intelligence was not a fluke and had discovered what was really going on. He protested to his boss thinking it was a few renegade staff doing the illegal testing. When he found out that the real purpose of the Centre was to try and find a way of controlling guides and through them, their sentinels, he informed them he was going to the police.

At first Edwards threatened firing him from his teaching job, then two men roughed him up a bit outside his warehouse home and warned him off and then when he still insisted they threatened him with the one thing guaranteed to make him toe the line: his mother. After a few weeks, though, he knew that he had to do something to save the poor souls that were being tortured in the name of 'science'. That his mother, being an activist saving everything from rainforests to battered women, would understand. Rather than go directly to the police he told a friend who was a guide to a police officer in the Cascade PD. The police officer told both his captain and the head of his sentinel clan.

In exchange for the police finding and protecting his mother, Sandburg had become a reluctant pawn in the fight to bring the criminal group down. Unfortunately, Sentinel Detective Ellison was running the show and he'd never met a more cold hearted, unfeeling bastard in his life.

Ellison and Taggart reached their car and climbed in. Just before pulling away, Ellison sighed and turned to look at his passenger.

"I don't like it either, Joel. I really wish we could do it another way, but you know pulling Sandburg out and trying to put in one of our guys would take, I don't know how long. And all those guides suffering… I just can't…"

"I know, Jim. I just don't like lying to him."

"A few more days and then it'll be over. I'll even let him slug me if it makes him feel better."

With that they left the scene each caught up in their own thoughts.

Sandburg meanwhile wiped his sweaty hands again on his jeans as he drove. God, he just KNEW something was going to happen and it was going to happen to him. He debated whether he had time to swing by his flat and change his clothes, but decided he didn't want to be later than he already was. He had to manage his meetings with the police around his work at the 'Centre' and often had to obfuscate as to where he'd been. He'd also change his clothes even though there were no sentinels at the Centre to sniff out where he'd been he didn't like taking chances. But he'd got a flat tyre and arrived late for his meeting and now had to get back.

He sighed. It looked like he was going to have to take a risk this afternoon whether he liked it or not.

CCC CCC CCC CCC

Jim Ellison gratefully shut down his computer and stretched his arms above his head until his vertebrae popped. It'd been a long day and the meeting with the guide had been long and hard. Recently his senses had been jumping all over the place and he was beginning to think that it was the proximity of Sandburg that was the cause. And that made him angry. The man and cop didn't want a guide, but the sentinel was calling out for the close trust and complicity that a true bond brought. For the moment though, he was denying it to himself and, more importantly, to those around him.

"Ellison, my office."

He cursed under his breath as Simon Banks, captain of the unit called out to him. He slowly walked over and entered the office redolent with the smells of coffee and cigars.

"Captain," he said as he eased himself into one of the chairs placed in front of the desk.

"You look tired."

"It's been a long day."

"Coffee?"

"No thanks. I'm swimming in the stuff."

"Uh huh." The dark skinned man nodded sympathetically and then changed tack. "Is that why you didn't come and tell me about your meeting this afternoon?"

"Uh, no." Ellison shifted in his chair. "You were at that meeting and then Dan asked me to examine that body they found down at the docks."

"Find anything?" The captain's question seemed casual, but his interest was great. Ellison had the potential to be a great sentinel if only he could control his senses better. That meant that bonding with a guide something he was quite reluctant to do not wanting to commit himself to having to share his life with anyone else. He was only holding on to his position as Senior Sentinel Prime due to a number of factors that required a fine balancing act.

His senses, when working correctly, were the strongest of all the sentinels in the clan, but only when they worked well. There were other sentinels, many of them bonded, who were eyeing his position with proprietary looks. None were in a position yet to challenge Ellison, but everyone knew that they were playing a waiting game. Banks, not understanding his detective's reluctance to bond, simply wanted him to get on with it so he could concentrate more on being a good detective. Fortunately, Ellison was in Major crimes due to his investigating talents, not his sentinel ones.

Banks didn't need sentinel sight to see the slight grimace on the other man's face at his question.

"Unfortunately, my uh, senses weren't, um, cooperating."

"Well, maybe it's time…"

"No, Simon. You know how I feel."

The captain sighed and rubbed the hand not playing with a pen over his head. "Jim," he tried to keep the exasperation out of his voice, "you've been saying this for nearly a year. And your control isn't getting any better. If you want to remain productive you need to bond."

Ellison jumped out of the chair and stalked towards the window. Leaning his head against the glass he cupped his hands behind his neck. "Not yet. I can't… "

"I really don't understand your reluctance. Other sentinels don't seem to have problems with being bonded."

"I like being on my own." The detective's shoulders slumped. "I don't want to need any one."

"What about this Sandburg? Joel says he's a strong guide…"

"Simon, just…" he was interrupted when his mobile phone rang. He pulled it out of pocket and flicked it open. "Ellison."

Banks looked up when he saw Jim push himself away from the window tight anger on his face.

"I'm on my way." He turned towards his captain. "That was Edwards out at the Centre. Sandburg set off his alarm. He's in trouble."

"Let's go."

Within minutes the two men were on their way down to the garage.

Chapter 2

The battered Corvair pulled into the car park in front of the imposing building known as the Centre. The setting was magnificent: the large, former clinic was situated in a beautiful park of mature plants and trees 20 kilometres from the city of Cascade. Unfortunately, the beauty hid a rotten core where evil men and women inflicted pain and suffering on children and young adults so they could get rich.

It was early afternoon and Blair was hoping that he could pass off his lateness as due solely to his flat tyre. He got the books (his excuse for being out of the centre) from the back of his car and made his way to the large double doors that stood menacingly in front of him. Taking a deep breath he pushed open the right one and slipped into the foyer. Compared to the bright daylight outside, the interior was dark and he blinked peering through the gloom.

"Guide Sandburg."

He jumped as a voice came out of the gloom to his right. Squinting, he recognised Dr Macintosh, Chief Research Officer. Or, Chief Torture Officer, as he liked to call him in his head.

"You're late."

"I'm sorry. I got a flat and…"

"Liar."

"What?" He swivelled round to the left where a woman's voice he didn't recognise sounded. "No, I'm…"

"Oh, you got a flat all right, but that's not all you did."

His eyes were now accustomed to the gloom and could see a tall, blond-haired woman stalk towards him. With a sinking feeling he felt his skin tingle with the typical reaction he got whenever a sentinel was near. With predatory grace she came closer her brilliant blue eyes fixed on his. Blair gulped and saw a small smile appear on her lips. One part of his brain was admiring the feline beauty the woman possessed while the part was screaming at him to just get the hell out of there. The second part won and he took a step back towards the door and bumped into something unyielding.

Strong hands grabbed his upper arms and he was brought to a halt. With morbid fascination he watched the woman lean into him and sniff. He tried to press himself back into the body holding him in place, but it was like pushing against granite. The woman moved over his body until she stopped with her nose hovering over the shoulder that Ellison had sniffed. The woman growled.

The woman actually growled!

"Sentinel," she uttered low in her throat. She moved until her nose was pressed into Sandburg's neck at the junction with his shoulder. She whirled round towards Dr Macintosh making the grad student jump. "You promised me the guide! Another sentinel has touched him."

The doctor bustled over and put a calming hand on the woman's head. "Alicia, calm down. Don't worry, you may have the guide just as I promised."

"Uh, Dr Macintosh…"

"Quiet, Sandburg. Alicia, he hasn't bonded. He can still be yours."

"Doc, I'm not bonding…"

"I said quiet!"

"But…"

"Tompkins, quiet him."

Before he could react, Tompkins had whipped an arm round his chest and had forced a handkerchief into his mouth. All Blair could hope for was that it was clean.

"Sentinel Bannister, Tompkins will take Guide Sandburg to the bonding cabin and you can bond with him to your heart's content." The doctor gently pulled the woman towards the door and nodded to the guard holding the young man.

Blair wriggled and fought and tried to spit out the cloth in his mouth, but to no avail. The guard merely lifted him off the ground and carried him like a recalcitrant child out of the building and towards a path that led to the left. The young man could feel a panic attack approaching; he did so not want to bond. And even if he did, he certainly wouldn't bond with this freaky sentinel who was sending out some seriously negative vibes. Just before he was swamped with the descending red mist of panic he remembered the alarm Ellison had given him.

Twisting his body round under Tompkins' steel grip across his chest he gripped the bracelet around his left wrist and squeezed. 'Please hurry. Please hurry,' ran through his head as they approached a small cabin nestling amongst some tall trees. He couldn't understand why they were heading for it. As far as he knew it was just a storage area for garden tools. However, when the door was opened and he was thrust inside there wasn't a tool to be seen. Instead he fell onto what felt like thin mattresses and they cushioned his fall a bit.

"Alicia," Macintosh's unctuous voice came from the door, but was interrupted by an almost inhuman scream.

"Get out! Mine! Mine!"

Sandburg looked up to see the slim woman pushing the heavyset doctor out of the door. This was his chance. One against one was better than three against one. Not that he was underestimating the sentinel at all. A sentinel in the thralls of bonding heat could call on some pretty amazing reserves of strength. Spitting out the piece of cloth in his mouth he got to his feet. Although dim, the lighting in the room was adequate enough for him to see that he was fucked. The walls and ceiling were lined with the same sort of matting that was on the floor; no windows, no doors other than the one they'd entered through. Or if there were any other openings they were well hidden and he didn't have the time to look. The sentinel had closed the door and was advancing on him in a most predatory manner.

"Uh, hi," his mouth was dry and he licked his lips. "My name's Blair and you know I don't really…" He yelped as he was pushed on to the floor and straddled by the female sentinel. He started struggling. "No, no. Get off me!" He bucked his hips and arched up off the matting. "I said, get off me."

He gave one almighty surge and tipped the woman off him. He scrambled upright and backed towards the wall keeping a wary eye on his adversary.

The sentinel stood up a cold grin upon her, he had to admit, full, luscious lips. "Guide," she almost purred, "come and bond with me. You know you want to."

"Err, no, actually, I don't." He started edging towards the door.

"You're calling to me. Can't you fell it?" Her eyes never left his and she matched him step for step.

"Sorry, you must have me mixed up with someone else. Look there are loads of guides out there who want to bond. I'm sure you can find a suitable one really easily. In fact, I have a few friends who I could introduce you to. There's Phil, he's great. Strong and kind and REALLY wants to be bonded. I'm really messy and I talk a lot. You'd get fed up with me pretty quick." He felt the doorframe with his shoulder and put out a hand to try and find the handle without losing sight of the woman. With relief he felt the smooth metal and gently pushed it down. It didn't budge.

Alicia's smile deepened and she held up a key. "I don't want another guide. I want you; a dark guide…"

"But I'm not…" He tried the handle again knowing it was futile.

She spoke over him, "Don't be stupid. Of course you are. I can feel it and why the hell d'you think they wanted you here anyway? It wasn't for your intelligence or your pretty looks." She pounced on him and he twisted away.

However, he tripped and as he landed he felt something snap in his right wrist. He grunted in pain and tried to push himself up, but she jumped on to his back forcing him back down. He screamed. Without knowing how, he found himself flipped over and staring into cold, lifeless eyes that glimmered with insanity. He grunted as she backhanded him violently a ring on her finger cutting the skin. His vision dimmed momentarily and then a sharp pain radiated down his shoulder from his throat. She'd bitten him. He felt her mind stabbing into his, but with desperate strength he threw her out.

She drew back as if she'd been slapped. "What did you do? Tell me." She shook him like a terrier with a rat.

"Keeping you out," he hissed between clenched teeth.

"You can't, you can't. You're a guide."

"And? News for you lady, this guide's not for the taking." He tried to twist away again, but by now she'd entangled her hand in his hair and was pulling his head back. "Aaaargh! You bitch!" She bit him again on exactly the same spot she'd bitten earlier only to find herself thrown out of his mind once more.

In fury, she punched him hard splitting his lip. Rather than it subdue him, for some unknown reason it seemed to enrage him more. She drew back as he jerked his head forward trying to nut her. How dare he? She was a sentinel, a dark sentinel and he MUST submit! Grabbing his hair with her other hand as well she slammed his head into the ground. He merely grunted. The mattresses were thick enough that they cushioned most of the force, but thin enough for the young man to feel some pain. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be enough for her as she slammed his head again, and again, and…

Despite his best efforts, Blair couldn't fight against her or the encroaching darkness. Just before he lost consciousness he heard the door open.

"Alicia, quick. The police are here," Dr Macintosh puffed out sounding more than a bit anxious. "Come on, we need to get out of here."

The woman stilled then clambered to her feet. She bent down and started pulling at the young guide.

"What are you doing?" Macintosh was half out the door. "Leave him."

"No! He's mine." In a great feat of strength she hauled Sandburg off the floor and flung his arm across the shoulders. Fortunately, it wasn't the broken arm, however, his head felt as though it was about to explode. "Help me," the sentinel snarled.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'll find you another."

"I want this one. You promised."

With a long-suffering sigh the doctor grabbed the guide's arm. Unfortunately, this time it was the broken one and Sandburg screamed. Ignoring his moans they dragged him out of the cabin. Once outside the sentinel lifted her head and looked towards the gates of the park. "They're nearly here. I can hear them. We need to head to the trees."

They started along a path that climbed gently upwards towards a small formal garden. They'd almost reached the hedge surrounding it when the cavalcade of police cars, unmarked cars and an ambulance swept through the gates in a display of flashing lights and wailing sirens. They drew up in front of the building and the cars disgorged officers and…Bannister' head whipped round her vision focussed in on a man who had climbed out of the lead car. Her lip curled back in a snarl. Even at this distance she could sense the other sentinel. He was the one who had touched her guide. He wasn't going to get him. Obviously though, he could sense her because his eyes unerringly turned to where they were standing on the path.

"Oh God," the doctor's voice betrayed his fear, "they've seen us. They're coming this way. I'm out of here. Leave him." With that he dropped the arm around his neck and darted through the hedge.

The female sentinel could feel the sentinel getting closer making her skin tingle. She pulled the guide into the garden and realised the futility of trying to escape. There was no way she was going to make it to the cars on the other side of the open space before the police arrived unless she ditched the young man. But she couldn't let the other sentinel take her guide. Her eyes lit upon the ornamental fountain sending water up into the sky.

Blair felt almost totally disconnected from what was going on around him. His head and wrist were throbbing in agony and his vision was greying in and out. All he wanted to do was lie down and not wake up until the pain had gone. However, the crazy sentinel obviously had other ideas. He felt himself being pulled forward and tried to dig his heels in. His legs felt like wet noodles though, and despite his best efforts he couldn't do anything to stop her.

After a minute or so he felt his shins hit something hard and he teetered. Instinctively, he flung his injured arm out to try and find his balance, but it was to no avail. He felt a hand on his back and then he found himself under water. He opened his mouth to scream and cold, dirty liquid flooded in. He coughed and more water entered. He couldn't breathe… he couldn't see… or think. Thrashing about only clouded his vision more as he disturbed the filth lying on the bottom. Suddenly it was all too much effort and cold lassitude stole over him. He closed his eyes one more time.

Chapter 3

Ellison could feel something pull at his senses. He got out of the car and slowly turned round examining his surroundings.

"There!"

His ears exploded with agony as Sentinel Edwards' voice sounded just behind him and he winced.

"Sorry," Edwards whispered sheepishly.

The Senior Sentinel Prime grunted and set off after the group. Edwards, his guide and two uniforms followed him. Within seconds the three fleeing people had disappeared behind a high hedge. Picking up speed Ellison sent out his hearing to try and determine where they'd gone. He cursed to himself as his senses were currently going through an uncooperative stage. "How many?" He whispered to his Clan second in command knowing HIS senses were fine because he was bonded.

"Three. Two together, one of them a sentinel and one non-sentinel moving to the west."

Ellison looked at the uniforms and gestured with his head to the right. They nodded in acknowledgement and moved off to chase down the single escapee.

"I can hear only one heartbeat now."

They all knew what that meant and sped up. Reaching the hedge they paused and in practised movements they took out their guns and, covering each other, they went through the gap. Nothing, except a few flowers, shrubs and an ornamental fountain. For a moment, Ellison's senses came back online and he could hear a woman's running footsteps and gasping breath.

He started to follow when David, Edwards' guide, called out, "Neds, Sentinel Ellison!"

The two sentinels spun round and at first couldn't see what David was pointing at in the fountain. The setting sun turned the sparkling water into a star-studded waterfall and for a moment Ellison could feel himself slipping into a zone. He then saw something red move in the fountain itself and with a shock realised that it was a body. Jerked out of his near-zone he hurried over as the other two men waded into the water and pulled the body out. Bedraggled long hair obscured the face, but with an almost visceral jolt to his gut he recognised Sandburg.

They laid the grad student on the grass and Edwards put a hand to the young man's neck even though with his senses he couldn't hear a heartbeat.

"He's, he's dead, isn't he?" David whispered.

"Yeah, but it's only been a short while. Hopefully we can save him." Edwards positioned two hands over the supine man's sternum. "David go and get the paramedics."

"But…"

"Go!"

David hesitated knowing that all they needed was to call them on a radio, but also knew his sentinel was trying to protect him from the emotional stress if they couldn't revive the Sandburg. Edwards' 'David!' galvanised him into action and he shot off back through the hedges like a gazelle.

"Ellison, you just going to stand there or are you going to help?" Edwards' voice came out in little grunts as he jerked down on Sandburg's chest.

The detective tried to shake himself out of the strange disconnection that seemed to have taken control of his mind and body. Moving to kneel by the head, he cleared the mouth with his finger, tipped the head back, pinched the nostrils and waited for Edwards to stop. Seconds later his mouth covered the cold and waxy lips and he blew. The two men lost themselves in the lifesaving rhythm; … press, press, breathe, press…

Voices and hands intruded into their concentration announcing the arrival of the EMTs. Within minutes one paramedic was squeezing air into Sandburg's lungs with an ambu bag while the other checked for a heartbeat with a stethoscope.

"No pulse," the second EMT said. "How long's he been in cardiac arrest?"

"No more than a few minutes," Edwards replied.

"Okay."

The two medical personnel continued working on the drowned man until after a few minutes the one performing heart massage stopped.

"Let's try atropine." With scissors she sliced through one of the arms of Sandburg's shirt and then the white t-shirt beneath. Taking a hypodermic out of her equipment bag she prepped his upper arm and injected a dose into it.

Everyone watched as she again listened with her stethoscope then looked up at her colleague. With a regretful shake of their heads the man and woman knelt back on their heels.

"Nothing," the woman stood up and turned to the two sentinels, David and Taggart who'd followed them into the garden. "I'm sorry, he's gone."

Their words came to Ellison as if through water and he shook his head trying to clear his ears. His eyes focussed on the dead man's blue lips and everything around him faded away.

"Use the power of your spirit animal."

He stared in astonishment at Incacha the Chopec shaman who had helped him when he'd crashed in the Peruvian jungle whilst on a mission as a Ranger many years before.

"Wha…?"

"Quick, you do not have much time."

Suddenly, he saw a black panther racing through a blue-tinged jungle with a large, grey timber wolf coming from the opposite direction. The two animals leapt towards each other and with a flash of light, they merged and disappeared. Ellison found himself kneeling beside the student. Putting both hands around the other man's face he stared into the slightly open, but dead eyes.

He ignored Joel's hand on his shoulder and his quiet words, "Jim, he's dead. Let go."

"No, he's not dead. Sandburg, come ON!"

To everyone's shock the body under his hands convulsed and water erupted from the previously slack mouth. He quickly turned the man onto his side and held his head while Edwards shouted for the EMTs to come back. Everyone looked on amazed as the dumbstruck paramedics confirmed the seemingly miraculous revival and placed an oxygen mask over the shivering man's face. Quickly, they lifted him onto a stretcher, wrapped blankets around him and proceeded to carry him down to the ambulance.

CCC CCC CCC CCC

The waiting room clock gave another little annoying click just as the hour hand touched the twelve. Ellison glared at it. Every half hour, as had happened for the last two hours, that click would intrude upon his contemplation and he was getting fed up with it. The speculative looks he was getting from Edwards and David weren't helping his mood any, either. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the other sentinel move towards him an obvious question on his face.

"Your senses are better, aren't they?"

"Why d'you ask that?" He tried to keep his voice disinterested.

"We've been here two hours and every time the clock clicks you wince. I've never known your senses to be so steady or so sensitive for so long."

"Haven't noticed."

"Jim, something happened at that place," Edwards' voice was irritatingly calm as if he was talking to a scared victim. "We all saw the light."

"Nothing happened!" Ellison ground his jaw and David idly wondered if it was a sentinel habit because Neds did exactly the same thing when he was irritated about something.

Edwards wasn't to be swayed; he knew the Senior Sentinel Prime too well. "I think you started to bond…"

"No way…"

"…and David can feel it."

Jim closed his mouth with a snap and carefully avoided looking angrily at the guide. Edwards may be his second in command, but no sentinel would take kindly to another sentinel expressing any negative feelings towards their bonded guide. Fortunately, before he had time to compose another denial, he was interrupted by a doctor coming into the room.

"Are you here for Guide Sandburg?"

Edwards smirked as the other sentinel leapt to his feet and his grin got wider as he listened to how the man introduced himself.

"Senior Sentinel Prime, Detective Ellison."

"Ah. Is Sandburg your guide?" The middle-aged doctor seemed a bit taken aback. "I was told he isn't bonded."

"He's not. It's just that… we were there. At his drowning. And resuscitation."

David and Edwards grinned at each other seeing their normally unflappable Clan leader tripping over his words.

"Right. Okay." The doctor smoothed his small beard with one hand. "Well, I'm Dr Holland and I've been treating Guide Sandburg."

"How is he? Will he be able to answer some questions?"

"He has a minor concussion where his head was repeatedly banged into something that was, fortunately, not too hard. A few days' bed rest should sort that out. He was fairly out of it at first, but is picking up nicely now. The right scaphoid, that's a small bone in his wrist, is broken. It's not serious, but several weeks in a cast will be necessary. He has a number of scrapes and contusions, none which need stitching except the cut on his cheek." The doctor pulled the door open and stood with his hand on the handle. "I can tell you the rest as we walk to his room if you want to speak to him."

The three men followed the doctor towards a lift.

"What we're really concerned about are his lungs and any possible infection," Holland continued as the lift doors closed. He pressed the number four button and the lift lurched upward. "I believe the water he ingested wasn't terribly clean?" He looked at Ellison questioningly.

"It was fairly dirty, yes."

They exited the lift and moved to the right. Both sentinels felt their hearing become muffled and knew that they were in a sentinel ward where white noise generators deadened all sound.

"Does Guide Sandburg have any allergies?"

The three men looked at each other and then back at the doctor.

"Um, we don't know," Ellison replied. "We don't know him that well."

"Oh, okay," the doctor seemed a bit nonplussed.

"We could contact the university. They probably have medical information on all their students," David suggested.

"Excellent idea," the Senior Sentinel Prime smiled at the guide. He didn't fail to miss the prideful smile and pat on the back Edwards bestowed upon the younger man. David blushed and leant into his sentinel's touch. For a moment Jim felt a moment of envy at the closeness of the two men, but he shook it off as he reminded himself that he didn't want to bond.

The doctor stopped outside a door bearing the number 423 and a card with the name Guide Sandburg written on it. "We've got him on broad spectrum antibiotics in the hope of heading any infection off at the pass. His breathing's a bit compromised so we have him on oxygen All in all, I think he's an extremely lucky man. Unless, of course, his brain was without oxygen for a considerable time. And that we'll know when he's a bit more compos mentis."

Lucky wasn't exactly the word the other men would use, but at least he was alive.

"Do you have any questions?" The doctor continued.

"How long will you be keeping him?"

"Depending on the infection, ideally two to three days. Ready?" He opened the door.

"Jim?" Edwards spoke.

"Yeah?"

"I really don't think David and I need to go in. Sandburg only met us briefly on two occasions. You can interview him on your own."

"You're right." Ellison felt torn. He wanted to rush in and make sure the guide was all right, but at the same time he was apprehensive about going in on his own. What if Edwards was right and he HAD started to bond? No, ridiculous! 'Get a hold of yourself, Ellison,' he told himself and strode through the door after the doctor.

He almost staggered by the senses smorgasbord that greeted him as soon as he'd crossed the threshold. Smell was bombarded by antiseptic, medicine, cleaning fluids and something else that he associated with the young man lying in the bed. Sound was a cacophony of hissing oxygen, dripping liquids and a soft thumping that played counterpoint to the beeping of the heart monitor. And finally, the pale over-bed light shone down on a crown of curls that glistened and refracted and a pair of sleepy blue eyes turned towards him…

"Sentinel Ellison? Um, detective…?"

A hand on his arm brought him back down to earth with a bump.

"What?" He snapped.

"Were you zoning?" The doctor looked worriedly up at him wondering if he was going to have to treat another patient.

"No, certainly not. I was merely thinking about my questions."

"Uh huh." Holland looked at him somewhat dubiously, but then catching the cold glare sent his way decided that in this case discretion was most certainly the best medicine. He bustled over to the bed taking a penlight out of his pocket. "Guide Sandburg, how are you feeling?" The young man was lying propped upright with several pillows presumably to help with his breathing. He had several drips fixed to his left hand while the right was encased in a green cast and rested on some pillows. Three stitches and a dark bruise marred the left cheek and a bandage peeked out of the neck of the scrubs he was wearing.

"'all m Bla."

"I beg your pardon?" He looked worriedly at his patient wondering if his mumbles were a sign of brain damage.

"He said to call him Blair," Ellison translated.

"Oh, okay. Well then, Blair, how are you feeling?" He bent and shone the light into Sandburg's left eye.

"Blin'."

"Sorry?" The doctor was beginning to feel as if he'd stepped into a play where he didn't know the language. He moved the penlight to the other eye.

"Blind," Sandburg spoke a little louder, "in both eyes now."

A strange noise behind him made the doctor turn round, but all he could see was the sentinel, detective, whatever, closely examining the safety notice on the back of the room door. His face looked a bit red. Maybe he really was sick.

"Any nausea?" He turned back to his patient.

"No, I haven't had any hospital food, yet."

Holland ignored the gulping noise, as it sounded again, not wanting to delve too deeply into what the sentinel was up to. He started asking the standard questions meant to determine the patient's cognitive state.

"Good, good," he eventually finished. "Everything seems to be in order. Well, if you feel up to it you can have a light supper and we'll see how that goes down. Meanwhile, Sentinel Ellison here would like to ask you some questions. Do you feel up to it?"

"Do I have a choice?" Blair winced. That had come out more bitterly than intended.

"Um," the doctor could find himself losing control of the situation again.

"Dr Holland," Ellison stepped forward, "I'll take over from here."

"Yes, well. Guide Sandburg… Blair," he hastily changed the name when the man in the bed glared at him. "If you get tired just press the button here." He clipped the electronic box on to the rail on the bed and scurried out.

For a moment silence reigned while Blair closed his eyes and tried to take in a few calming breaths and Ellison examined the patient without making it obvious. However, something kept pulling all the sentinel's senses towards the younger man. Sandburg was pale except for the dark rings under his eyes. He had to fight against an instinct to gently caress the dark bruises and tightened his jaw even further. It made his voice rough with emotion and he sounded angry.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

The guide's eyes flew open and Ellison could hear his breath catch. Unfortunately, it also caused a coughing fit. Without thinking the sentinel eased the man forward and gently rubbed his back. Eventually the coughing stopped leaving Blair gasping for air and tears in his eyes. Spotting a jug of water, the sentinel filled the glass standing next to it and helped the guide to drink. After finishing the glass the patient lay back with his eyes closed and wiped his brow with a shaky hand.

A few seconds later he opened his eyes again and stared at the man still perched on the recliner next to his bed. "I don't understand, man" his voice was back to sounding rough.

"Don't understand what?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"You up to telling me what happened?"

Sandburg was silent for a moment examining the sentinel closely while said sentinel merely stared back a bland look on his face. He then sighed and indicating he'd like more water started to recount what had occurred that afternoon. Ellison listened closely ignoring the flash of anger when he heard about the other sentinel attacking the guide. He also resolutely ignored the sweat forming on Sandburg's brow or the small tremors that raced through his body as he lived through his drowning again. Eventually, his voice hoarse, they reached the part where the grad student had woken up on the grass next to the fountain.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"What for?"

"You apparently brought me back to life."

"Not just me. And anyway, I'm a cop. It's my job."

"Yeah, well. Thanks all the same."

Ellison quickly changed the subject not wanting to spend too much time on the emotional minefield. "So you have no idea as to who this Alicia Bannister is?" He didn't fail to notice the shiver the name produced in the younger man.

"No way." He took a drink of water. "But I think she was several fries short of a Happy Meal, if you know what I mean?"

"Uh huh. Do you think you could to describe her well enough so we could get a composite done of her?"

Sandburg laid his head back on the pillows his eyes drooping. "There's no way I could forget a face like that." His eyes flew open again and he opened his mouth to speak only to be caught up in coughing fit once more.

Ellison grabbed the glass to prevent it from falling to the floor. He stood up and placed a hand on the other man's shoulder and rubbed it gently not realising that his thumb was resting on the base of his throat. "Okay, Chief, deep breaths. C'mon, you can do it."

The guide in Sandburg woke up at the contact and for a moment the grad student was convinced he could hear the howling of a wolf. After several pain-filled minutes he eventually calmed down enough to ask the question that had so agitated him. "The children. What about the children? Are they all right?"

"I don't know."

"Oh God. What about Macintosh? You got him?"

"Don't know that either."

"Well, what the hell do you know?"

"Whoa, Chief, calm down. I followed you here so have no idea what's been going on there. Okay?"

The two men glared at each other until Blair felt his eyes drooping again. He snuggled down into the bed his left hand unconsciously rubbing his chest where it'd been pounded during CPR.

"'m too tied to ar'ue," he mumbled as his eyes closed completely.

Jim sat quietly for a moment contemplating the situation he found himself in. As much as he didn't want to admit to it he was beginning to think that Edwards was right. But he didn't WANT a guide and as far as he knew Sandburg didn't want to bond. A dark head poking round the door interrupted his musings. A tall body followed it through as the eyes saw the detective slumped in the recliner next to the bed.

"Ellison," Banks nodded at the man. "This him?" He walked over and stood for a moment looking at the sleeping figure. Jim had to admit that he didn't look too prepossessing with his hair tangled, his mouth open and his breaths sounding a mix between a rasp and a snore. "You get anything out of him?"

The sentinel repeated what Sandburg had told him and ended with a question of his own, "We manage to pick up this Bannister woman and the doctor that was trying to get away?"

"The doctor, yes. He was caught trying to get away in an ambulance. The woman, nothing. D'you think she's dangerous?"

"Well, she did kill Sandburg."

"Maybe we should put a guard on him. He is, after all, our star witness. I'll get some uniforms on this."

"Um, I could take first watch."

"Really?

"No problem. What did you find at the Centre?

The tall man grimaced at the question letting the change of subject go for now. "Twenty-six victims, mostly children. Some of them no older than five." He ran his hand across his head and slumped into a plastic chair that was positioned against the wall.

Ellison twisted round to face him not saying anything having recognised the need in the other man to speak about what he'd seen.

"And you know why we couldn't find any trace of anyone coming out of that place?"

The detective shook his head when he saw Banks was waiting for an answer with righteous anger growing in his eyes.

"They funded part of their studies by selling on their 'subjects' once they couldn't use them anymore!"

Ellison felt an answering rage burgeoning in his chest: they both new why certain people who weren't sentinels, would buy empathic guides. "Do we know who bought them?"

"Some. They kept meticulous records. What I can't believe is that many of the staff working there claim they didn't know what was going on."

"Well, Sandburg'd been actively trying to find out and he didn't know the full picture. Anything on the big names?"

"There's a mass of stuff to go through. We're going through it as quick as we can. We don't want anyone to slip through the cracks."

"Bring some of it here and I can look at it while I'm sitting guard."

"No point. By the time we get it here it'll be too late. We need to move fast on this. We've got the Mayor's top paper trail investigative team on it." He tiredly hauled himself off the chair. "I actually came to get Edwards and David. We've got the guides here and I want to question some of the older ones. I thought having a pair would make it easier on them."

"I could…"

"No, I think a bonded pair's better."

The sentinel nodded seeing the logic behind the statement. He felt himself being torn again; he wanted to be doing something to find the funders of the project, but he also needed to stay exactly where he was.

"Have you eaten?"

"I had a sandwich while waiting."

"Okay." The captain walked towards the door. "I'll send someone to relieve you in a couple of hours."

As soon as the other man had left, Ellison's eyes, almost of their own volition, swung back to watch the guide.

Chapter 4

"What have you found out?" Banks sipped his coffee and looked at Detective Henri Brown as he entered his office where was talking to Ellison, Edwards and Taggart. It was early in the day, but he unfortunately, had meetings all day and this was the only moment he could meet with his detectives and representatives of the Cascade Sentinel Clan.

"Not much, but then again I've not had much time to do all the relevant searches."

The captain nodded in acknowledgement.

"First interesting point is that the prints came back as Alex Barnes who has a rap sheet for some pretty high scale stuff." He handed round some mug shots of a beautiful, blonde woman with large, but oh so very cold blue eyes.

"Could Sandburg have got the name wrong?" Asked Taggart.

"Probably not," H answered. "She's also known under the names of Angel Barnett AND Alexia Boardman. Three years ago she was sentenced to two years prison for breaking into Feldman High Tech Industries in Maine. She was caught before she could steal anything hence the light sentence. She's also got a reputation as a guide breaker. Supposedly a dark sentinel she's apparently LOST," he made quote marks in the air with his fingers, "two guides."

"How the hell do you lose a guide?" Questioned Edwards.

"You go camping with them and they get swept away in a flash flood or lost somewhere on a mountain."

"But didn't anyone wonder what was going on?"

"She lost one as Boardman and the other as Barnes."

"God!" Edwards' exclamation was heartfelt and no one was surprised when he edged closer to his guide.

"I'm afraid that's all I was able to get overnight. I've got some other searches running."

"Good work." Brown nodded and left the office. "Anything interesting found at the Centre?" Banks directed the question to Taggart who was overseeing the search at the building.

"Nothing so far on the paperwork. We've come across two computers, but their encrypted. We're getting the tech boys onto them. We found some films, though," he stopped and took in a deep breath. "They're… "

"Disturbing?" Ellison asked the question when it appeared Taggart couldn't continue.

"Some of them are so young. And the screams!"

Ellison looked over at Edwards and David. "I claim blood vendetta against the people responsible for this and the people who carried out their orders."

"So witnessed," Edwards intoned.

"So witnessed," repeated David.

"Now hold on a minute!" Banks surged out of his chair. Blood vendetta was a serious affair and rarely invoked. It meant that the clan had claimed the right to punish the perpetrators of the crimes against the young guides. Punishment could be banishment from the territory or even death. "This is a police matter. I won't have what basically amounts to a witch hunt in Cascade."

"Captain," the Senior Sentinel Prime's voice rang with all the authority of his position, "with all due respect once guides were involved it became of interest to all sentinels bonded or not. We take abuse of guides very seriously."

"I would hope that you take abuse of anyone seriously!"

"We do. It's just that guides are vulnerable, they need, they…" Ellison ground to a halt obviously finding it difficult to express what he was feeling.

"I think what the Sentinel Ellison's trying to say," David's calm voice broke in before the captain could jump in, "is that it's ingrained in sentinel genes to protect guides. But it's only recently that we guides have full rights as ordinary citizens and unfortunately a lot of the time we're still treated as something to be feared or pitied which makes us easy prey and puts our sentinels' back up."

Edwards put a hand on his guide's back where no one could see trying to calm the slight tremor's running through David's body. "This is the fourth place in the North West Territories that we know about. Other territories have reported possible centres as well. The bosses need to be shown that they cannot get away with it. The courts have tried and failed, so maybe it's time for some Clan Law," he said.

Banks opened his mouth to answer, but then shut it again as he thought through the implications of what Edwards had said. "Okay," he eventually said, "but if we get to them first and manage to convict them and sentence them to your satisfaction you'll leave them alone?"

The two sentinels looked at each other and nodded.

"Agreed," Ellison said, "but we can't be guaranteed to hold back if they resist arrest." His smile was cold and predatory.

"Agreed," Banks repeated. Secretly he was pleased. As a police officer his duty was to uphold the law and find evidence to make convictions stick. But how many times had he been disappointed and frustrated when he saw an obviously guilty person get off scot-free. This time though, there was a more ancient justice in play and the criminals wouldn't get away with it. "Okay," he continued, "I'm afraid I have to go to my first meeting. You know what you've got to do, so I'll leave you to it."

With that the others left the office and banks headed out of the bullpen a number of thick files under his arm.

"Jim."

The sentinel turned round at the sound of his name and came face to face with Megan Conner the exchange officer from Australia. "Yeah?"

"The hospital called. Your guide needs some stuff from his home and wondered whether you could get it?"

"He's not my guide!"

"Okay, keep your hair on. Well what you've got left."

"Very funny, Conner. Why the hell did the hospital phone here? Doesn't he have any friends who can help?"

"Don't know, mate. I'm just giving you the message," she said tartly, thrust a piece of paper into his hand and turned away.

You didn't need to be a sentinel to hear the laughter that rippled through the listening detectives at Brown's comment. Ellison's glare shot round the room, but everyone seemed to be extremely interested in what they were doing and no one looked up to catch his eye.

"David, could you…?"

"No!" Edwards' reply was sharp. "He's not an errand boy. And anyway, we're heading back to the hospital to continue our interviews."

"I don't have a key," Ellison's voice was almost petulant.

His protests were all in vain and he found himself standing in front of a large warehouse with another sentinel from his clan and her guide.

"You sure this is the right address?" Lisa looked around at the less than salubrious area with a frown on her face.

They moved towards the door that hardly looked strong enough to keep out a child. Taking out the key that he'd got from Sandburg's effects that had been bagged as evidence, he put it into the lock. The door swung open at his touch and the two sentinels looked at each other whilst taking out their guns.

"Can you hear anything?" The clan leader asked quietly. Although stronger than the woman his senses were playing up that morning.

Lisa's guide, Karl, moved closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder grounding the sentinel. She cocked her head in the classic listening pose and after a few moments shuddered. "Nothing human, but I can hear a lot of movement which I can only guess comes from rodents."

Ellison led the way up the stairs and found himself in a dark, cavernous space. He caught sight of something small disappearing behind a row of crates and he grimaced. Moving forward with Lisa and Karl behind him they fanned out through the large room. It looked as if a living area had been created behind the crates as they could see a settee and the back of a television. Approaching the crates Jim made a face, as it also seemed that Sandburg wasn't a neat freak; clothes, books and papers lay scattered about.

However, as they looked around it rapidly became clear that the state of the place had nothing to do with Sandburg's housekeeping skills – well at least, not entirely. The clothes had beer and ketchup poured over them. The books and papers had been ripped to shreds and the television screen had been kicked in. Someone had slashed the settee and the floor was covered with smashed glass and crockery.

"Why do I get the impression this isn't the result of a student party?" Lisa was putting on a pair of plastic gloves. She bent and picked up the remains of an old leather-bound book. "This smell of urine!" She went to put back on the floor when Ellison put out his hand.

"Hold on." He leant forward and smelt it. "Damn!" He said with feeling and pulled his phone out of a pocket.

"What?"

"Don't touch anything else. Rhonda, can you get me Joel, please?" He turned towards the others. "I couldn't smell anything at first because of the ketchup and spices, but… Joel? I'm at Sandburg's place and it's been completely trashed and I get the same smell that was on him at the Centre. Yeah, Alicia or Alex whatever she's called… Can you get forensics over here?... We'll wait, but I really think we need to double the guard at the hospital. This destruction's personal… Thanks."

CCC CCC CCC CCC

Not quite knowing how it came to pass, but Jim found himself outside Sandburg's hospital room clutching a paper bag in his hand. Two uniforms were sitting on a couple of chairs in the corridor drinking coffee.

"Ellison," the elder one nodded at the detective.

"Donaldson. Everything okay?"

"Totally calm. But then I hardly expected anything else in the Sentinel and Guide Suite."

"Don't let it make you complacent, she's already killed him once."

"We're on it."

"Thanks." The detective knocked on the door and then walked in not waiting for a response. Sandburg was half lying on his side his mouth slightly open and the pillow under his head sported a damp spot. His breathing was slightly raspy, but the oxygen prongs in his nose had been removed. He was still attached to an IV and another bag had been added. The remains of his lunch was still on the roll away table. Looking at the amount left he concluded that either the young student wasn't hungry or he wasn't a fan of chicken broth and vanilla pudding.

Half grateful and half disappointed at the fact that Sandburg was asleep he placed the bag on the chair next to the bed where the other man would see it and turned to go. Unfortunately, he brushed against the bed jostling the man in it who woke up with a grunt.

"Eh, wha?" Blue eyes blinked as Blair looked around himself and spotted the sentinel.

"Sorry," Ellison turned round, "didn't mean to wake you."

"No, it's okay. All I seem to do is sleep." He shifted round and tried to hitch himself up in the bed.

Ellison darted forward and pressed the bed controls to bring up the head area. "Is that all right?"

"Yeah, thanks, man." He yawned and ran a hand through his hair. He grimaced as he touched the greasy locks. "God, I need a shower."

"Ah, yes." Ellison picked up the paper bag and put it on the guide's knees.

"Oh great. You got my stuff. That's gre…" his voice tapered off as he pulled out a brand new toothbrush and unopened toiletries. He looked up. "Um, this isn't my stuff. I wouldn't put this chemical crap anywhere near my body. Couldn't you get in?"

The sentinel looked into the guide's eyes steeling himself to tell him about the destruction of his property. They were an incredible blue and looked at him so trustingly he couldn't tear his own away. In fact, they weren't simply blue, but also turquoise, teal, azure, sapphire…

Jim's sight and hearing snapped back into focus. Almost panicking he looked around the room and found Sandburg looking at him with concern. He felt warmth on his arm and looked down to see a hand sporting a cannula gripping it. With an inarticulate cry he wrenched himself free and took a couple of steps away from the bed.

"Hey, hey. Detective, you all right?"

The sentinel found himself leaning against the wall and rubbed his face with his hands. His heart was pounding and he could feel sweat pooling under his arms. God, what had he done? Without saying anything he tore out of the room and ignoring the startled looks of the two uniforms on guard he blew threw the doors leading to the stairs. He ended up leaning over the banister breathing in great gulps of air. As he'd been drawn into Sandburg's eyes he could feel a strand of something curling up out of the ether ensnaring him, calling out to him… He hadn't zoned, but he'd started to bond! What an idiot! He had to get out of there. Within minutes he was in his vehicle and racing through Cascade.

Blair stared in amazement at his room door as it slowly closed behind the detective. It opened again and one of the police officers guarding him poked his head in.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah. I think."

"What happened?"

"Not too sure really."

The officer looked at him for a moment, eventually nodded and withdrew. Sandburg lay back on his pillows going back over in his mind what had just happened. The sentinel had been looking at him and then just seemed to lose it. At first he thought the man had zoned on something, but he didn't have the typical 'gibbering idiot' look sentinels got when they were overwhelmed by their senses. At first he didn't want to do anything hoping the man would snap out of it. As time went on though, it looked like he was going to have to do something himself or call for help. Sighing, he'd put into action what every guide was taught whether they wanted to bond or not – and he most certainly DIDN'T want to bond.

At first nothing had happened then he felt something warm begin to spread through his body. He'd tried to discount it and concentrate on getting the detective out of his funk. However, it was becoming harder and harder to ignore it and just as he was thinking that he was going to have to let the other man fend for himself and deal with the sensation, the detective jerked. He'd seemed panicked and had rushed out of the room before Blair could say anything.

'Well,' he said to himself as he lay back down, 'what was all that about?' As he drifted off to sleep again he failed to notice that the warm sensation had disappeared and he was clutching the paper bag of toiletries to his chest.

Chapter 5

"What?" Sandburg's open-mouthed look of indignation didn't do him any favours. The unshaven chin, rat's nest hairstyle and the too large, new sweats making him look like a kid wearing his big brother's clothes didn't help either.

Ellison glared back and took a step closer to the hospital bed. "You can't go back to the warehouse and you're still under police protection. And we've decided that the best place to protect you is at my place."

"YOU'VE decided…! I don't want it." The sullen pout didn't improve his looks any. "I just want to go home and take up my studies again. I've had enough of being a spy."

"Look, you can't go back home. All your stuff's been destroyed and…" he stopped when he heard the guide's heartbeat increase.

"What d'you mean 'destroyed'? You said that there was a bit of damage. How much damage?"

"Blair," Joel said softly and sending daggers at the sentinel he sat on the recliner so his eyes were level with the distraught man. "The person who broke into your accommodation was obviously very angry and did the maximum damage possible. We think that it was Alex Barnes. We tried to salvage as much as possible…"

Sandburg swallowed. "My books?" He asked in a small voice.

"Some might be salvageable." Taggart looked pained.

"My artefacts?" If anything the voice was smaller.

The large captain shook his head sadly.

The guide dropped his eyes to his knees, but not before the two men saw his eyes fill up with tears. Ellison went to say something, but Taggart shook his head at him an angry look on his face. The detective shrugged not comprehending Taggart's anger. He was going to be sympathetic. Really. It was just that they needed to get moving.

After a few minutes Joel spoke again, "Are you ready to go?" He asked gently.

The smaller man nodded without lifting his head and stood up. He swayed for a moment and the captain took a grip on his upper arm. The smaller man looked like a homeless waif and, Joel thought, that's technically what he was. He helped the younger man into the waiting wheelchair and took the handles almost pushing the sentinel away. Anger was perhaps too strong a word for what he was feeling, but he was fed up with all this sentinel/guide business and Ellison even more. The man was a bit standoffish at the best of times, but since the start of this case he'd become a hard, insensitive cop. Taggart understood his need to save the poor guides that were being experimented on, as he'd felt exactly the same, but this time the sentinel had been walking a thin line between needing the get the job done and exploitation of a private citizen.

The captain tried to engage the Sandburg in conversation as they moved through the hospital corridors, but all he got back was a nod or shake of the curly head. They reached the main entrance and stopped before exiting as Ellison checked that no female sentinel was lurking somewhere ready to pounce on his guide – no, the guide. Sandburg, unbonded guide. The detective indicated all was safe just as a large saloon car rolled up. Ellison opened the door, helped Taggart with the silent student, said goodbye to the captain and then jumped into the passenger seat.

Blair looked up and around the car. Edwards was driving and Ellison was riding shotgun half turned in the seat so he could easily look both forward and back. He turned his head and looked into the concerned eyes of Edwards' guide. "Umm?" He replied vaguely.

"It's David and Neds there's my sentinel. We visited the other day, but I think you were still very tired."

"No, I remember you." Blair had been touched by their concern regarding his health. He also hadn't failed to notice how Ellison had hovered nearby especially when the other sentinel had got close to him.

"So, how are you doing?"

"Okay." He tipped his head back so it was lying on the headrest and stared out of the window. The other empath obviously picked up on his mood and left him alone. The two men in the front were talking quietly and as their soft voices washed over him he started drifting in that half awake feeling that had seemed to plague him since his drowning. He became more awake when the car came to a stop and the two sentinels got out. Ellison opened his door and squatted down.

"Okay, Chief? We've arrived. Let me help you out."

Blair rolled his head until he was looking at the other man. For a brief moment he saw the head of a black panther superimposed over that of the sentinel. He closed his eyes and when he opened them again the panther was gone. When Ellison aided him out of the car and then put his arm around his shoulders to help him up the three flights of stairs he didn't object. They stopped in front of a door marked with a 307 and the detective opened it with a key. They entered into a large space filled with bright sunlight and the young guide had to blink his eyes to be able to see properly. He was gently pushed forward and helped to sit down on a large blue settee facing a fireplace.

He looked round with curiosity. The light came in through large glass doors leading out to a terrace. He was sitting in a large room with, in one corner, stairs leading up to an open, railed area. A kitchen with a central island filled another corner next to the front door. The flat was white and sterile with few personal effects scattered about on the few pieces of furniture. With a start he realised that he was being spoken to.

"Sandburg, you with me?"

He looked up to see the Senior Sentinel Prime bending over him with a strange look, half concern/half hunger, on his face.

"Yeah, sorry." He rubbed his face with his right hand. "What?"

"Would you like something to eat or drink?"

"No, I'm fine. Thanks."

"Look, I've got your bag here. We found it in your car."

Blair's face lit up in a lopsided smile and he grabbed the bag with his good hand. "Oh great. I thought I'd lost it. Thanks, man." He looked up when Ellison sat down next to him and cleared his throat. To his amazement the ice man was looking uncomfortable. For long seconds he said nothing and the guide could feel waves of anxiety pour off the other man. Concerned, he looked over at the Edwards and David who were seemingly totally absorbed in making coffee.

"Sandburg, um, Blair, I have something to tell you."

Blair's eyes swung round his own anxiety mounting at Ellison's tone and the waves of not-quite fear rolling off the man.

"It's about your mother." The sentinel could hear the young man's heart start to speed up and he could see the sweat beginning to pearl on his forehead. Despite his feelings about he didn't want to bond all he wanted to do was take the guide in his arms and protect him from the bad news he was about to give him. Bad news made worse by him wilfully keeping it from him to get him to cooperate in their sting against the Centre.

The student tried to swallow with a suddenly dry mouth. "What?" He asked hoarsely.

"I'm sorry, but… but your mother was murdered eight weeks ago."

"Wha, whe… What?"

"We think the Centre had sent someone to kidnap her from the cabin she was renting in Colorado. But she fought back and in the struggle she fell down some steps and broke her neck. Some hikers found her body half buried in the forest behind the property."

"No, no. You said you couldn't find her. When did you find out?"

Ellison and Edwards looked at each other and the Clan leader took a deep breath. "Six weeks ago."

Blair stood up slowly from the settee his breaths coming hard and fast. "But you… I…"

"Here. Drink this." Edwards held out a glass of water out to him.

"Fuck your water. And fuck you!" The young guide lashed out with his casted arm and the glass went flying to smash on the coffee table in the centre of the room.

Ellison rose up and took a step towards him. "Sandburg…"

"Don't come near me. You lied. You're lying now. She can't be dead." Blair backed away from the three men who were looking at him as if he was a head case. Perhaps he was, he thought hysterically.

"Guide Sandburg, we're really sorry, but we really needed to get those bastards and…" Ellison sounded sincere, but Blair was too worked up to read him. And quite frankly he didn't give a damn as to how sincere he was.

"She's my mother. My only relative. I don't know my father, I don't know my grandparents. I don't have brother, sisters, cousins. It's only my mother and I. It's only been my mother and I for as long as I can remember." His voice rose as a red haze filled his eyes and his body felt hot. "You're lying! You've got to be!"

Ellison and Edwards looked at each other worriedly. The young man was rapidly sliding into hysteria.

"Neds."

The two sentinels swung round abruptly at hearing the pain-filled voice of Edwards' guide.

"David! What is it?" The sentinel darted forward to where his guide was standing hunched over his hands rubbing his temples. Now that he wasn't concentrating on the other guide he could feel the pain and terror coursing through their bond.

"I can feel it," David ground out. "He's projecting. Oh, God, Neds. Make it stop. It hurts. It hurts!" He fell to his knees and Edwards knelt next to him his arms round his shoulders.

"Ellison, what's going on?"

The detective was standing between the two suffering guides his head turning first towards one then the other.

"Senior Sentinel Prime!" Edwards barked out.

"It's a myth," he said softly. "Dark guides are a myth."

Both guides were now making horrible keening noises that grated on the sentinels' senses. David was lying on his side on the floor rocking back and forth his eyes scrunched shut.

"He's a dark guide?"

"But they don't exist," Ellison insisted.

"Does it look like they don't exist? Look what he's doing to David! Do something!"

"Sandburg." Ellison took a step forward trying to get closer to Blair. "Chief, please. You have to calm down."

The young man's keening grew in volume and he, in turn, fell to his knees his arms crossed across his stomach.

"Neds! Help me!" David's voice was rising in volume.

"Ellison, do it! He's killing David!" Edwards' voice held a note of panic that Jim had never before heard from the former marine.

The senior sentinel put a hand on Blair's shoulder. It was like mainlining lightening as the guide's emotions scorched through his psyche. "Stop it!" he shook the younger man to no avail.

"If you won't do anything, I will. I'll kill him if necessary!"

Ellison turned his head to see Edwards kneeling next to his guide one hand on his shoulder the other holding his gun and pointing it at Blair. David's eyes were rolled back in his head and his body was wracked with violent tremors.

"Ellison!"

Jim shuddered. His mind and senses were being battered making it almost impossible to think. All of a sudden, from somewhere deep in his being, something forceful surged up and took control of his body. With an inarticulate roar he pushed the unbonded guide to the floor ignoring its verbal protests and struggles. Straddling the body with his own he trapped the broken arm with his left thigh. His right hand caught the guide's left arm that was trying to push the heavier man off and slammed it into the floor above the supine man's head. His left hand twisted into the smaller man's curls and he pulled exposing the guide's throat.

"No, no, no, no! Geroffme! Geroffme!" Blair fought against the pull on his hair, but the sentinel was too strong and his thoughts were coming as if they were moving through molasses. His mind exploded as Ellison bit down hard where his shoulder met his throat. As he spiralled down into unconsciousness his last thoughts were that at least both sides of his throat would now match.

Chapter 6

Blair blinked and stared at the white ceiling above him. His thoughts felt sluggish and his body ached. Little by little sound encroached on his hearing: voices and footfalls at a distance, a beeping noise to his left and a raspy snoring to his right. He rolled his head towards the snoring and saw Ellison uncomfortably sprawled in a large, sickly green, reclining chair. His head was thrown back, hence the snoring. He looked tired and his lower lip was puffed and split.

Seeing the sentinel brought up vague, disturbing images that made his heart beat faster and his scalp start to prickle with sweat. The beeping noise to his left increased in speed and coupled with the antiseptic smells pervading the room Blair came to the unfortunate conclusion that he was back in hospital. His mouth went dry when Ellison woke with a start and the light blue eyes swung unerringly towards the young guide.

"Chief, how you doing? The sentinel leant forward and gently picked up Sandburg's left hand rubbing a thumb over the knuckles. With his other hand he tenderly brushed back a curl from the younger man's forehead a fatuous grin on his face.

Blair pressed his head harder into his pillows. Hard-ass Ellison he could cope with. This smiling, gentle man was throwing him into complete confusion. He swallowed. "What happened?"

"D'you want something to drink? Or I can get you some ice chips? Are you hungry?"

With growing horror Blair realised he could feel Ellison's concern, feel some sort of connection like a golden rope glowing between them. He looked down at their hands lying on the bed covers; his own thumb was caressing the sentinel's hand! He snatched it back terror beating at his control.

"We… we… bonded?" His voice came out as a squeak.

"Yep."

"But… how? I didn't… I don't want to bond. We can't…"

Ellison opened his mouth to say something when he was swamped with overwhelming feelings of panic. The beeping of the heart monitor echoed the rapidly increasing heartbeat of the guide on the bed. He looked into wide, frightened eyes as the fast, shallow breathing also increased. Sandburg was having a panic attack. Whatever happened he couldn't go through what had occurred that afternoon again. He had to calm the man down. Suddenly, the door burst open and Dr Holland surged through followed by a nurse.

"What happened?" He demanded heading towards the bed and put a hand on Blair's chest.

"I don't know," Ellison replied as he was pushed back by the determined nurse. His sentinel instinct was to fight her for possession of his guide, but fortunately for the woman, common sense won out. "He just started panicking."

Blair's un-casted hand scrabbled against the bed covers and his rasping breaths grated on the sentinel's ears.

"Yes, doctor." The nurse ran out of the room and within minutes was back with an injection and antiseptic swabs on a tray.

Holland prepared Blair's upper arm with alcohol and then injected the contents of the hypodermic into the muscle watching the guide intently. "It's a mild sedative," he said, briefly looking at Ellison. "It's safe for bonded Pairs, so you shouldn't be affected by this. - Good, it's working."

Blair looked gratefully up at the doctor as his tight chest muscles slowly relaxed allowing him to feed blessed oxygen to his struggling lungs.

"Thank you, nurse. Keep hourly obs for tonight. Keep an eye on his oxygen levels. If necessary, give him some air."

The nurse nodded and left the room.

"Guide Sandburg, you rest now. I'm just going to talk to your sentinel for a moment. He'll be right outside the door."

"No m' sen'el." Sandburg could feel the sedative attack his cognitive faculties and it seemed as if his tongue was now three times its normal size.

The doctor totally ignored him, patted his shoulder and nodded his head at the door to Ellison. He then left.

The sentinel leant over the man in the bed to visually check that he was okay. Blair's eyes were at half-mast hiding their brilliant blue and intelligence. Ellison put a hand on his shoulder letting his thumb gently rest on the bandage covering his bite mark. "I'm sorry, Chief. I know you didn't want to bond. I didn't either, but… but doesn't it feel right?" He whispered.

The guide didn't answer as his eyes slid all the way shut. Sighing, the detective tore himself away from the bed despite his inner sentinel screaming at him to stay. Opening the door he found the doctor talking to Captain Banks.

"Sentinel Ellison," Holland turned towards him, "why didn't you tell me Guide Sandburg was a dark guide when you brought him the first time?"

"Dark guide?" Banks turned to his detective, his eyebrows raised in a classic questioning expression. "What's a dark guide? And what happened to you?" He indicated Ellison's lip.

"Quite fascinating really," the doctor answered instead. "It was thought that they existed many years ago, so it really is quite amazing to find one today. I should inform the…"

"No one," Jim growled. "You inform no one."

"But it's incredible. A dark guide's not been…"

"Listen to me," Jim stepped forward unconsciously using his size to intimidate the doctor, "being a dark guide's what got him into trouble in the first place. And the second place as well come to think of it. He was being experimented on. D'you understand? No one can know about him."

"Yes… but… I mean, he needs to be examined. We have no idea of his sensibilities, limits…" The doctor looked at the dark captain as if for support.

"Will someone please tell me what you're talking about?"

"Keep your voice down, Simon." Ellison turned once more to Holland. "This is now a Clan matter. Understood? If I hear you've spoken to anyone else about this you'll be subjected to Clan justice."

The doctor stared at the pissed off sentinel his mouth hanging open. Suddenly realising that he was looking like an idiot he closed it with an audible snap. "Well," he sounded indignant, but Ellison didn't care, "understood, Sentinel Ellison. But don't be surprised if you have problems later. I'll just go and check up on Guide… Guide… " For a moment he couldn't remember David's surname and finally he walked away in disgust.

"Jim?"

"Give me a second." He opened the door to Sandburg's room and looked inside. Although subconsciously he'd been monitoring his guide with his hearing, he wanted visual confirmation that everything was all right. He stared fondly at the man ignoring the light snoring and the drool that was pooling on the pillow. Unfortunately, he didn't realise that he was also looking decidedly soppy, which made Simon's eyebrows rise even more. He gently closed the door. "Okay, let's sit in those chairs and I'll explain everything. Well, as much as I know."

"Can't we go down to the cafeteria? I'd kill for a coffee. Even hospital coffee. I've brought a uniform with me, so the kid won't be unprotected."

Jim's eyes darted round the corridor avoiding his captain's eyes and he rubbed the back of his neck with a hand. "Uh, it's okay. I'll just stay here."

Banks' eyes narrowed as he looked at his obviously discomfited detective. "Are you bonded with Guide Sandburg?" He eventually asked.

"Uh, well, you see, that would be a yes."

"I thought you didn't want to bond. Or Sandburg for that matter. And what on Earth are you going to do with a student for a guide?"

Ellison tiredly plopped onto one of the row of chairs lined up at the end of the hospital corridor facing the nurses' station at the other end. He shifted until he had a good view of Sandburg's room. Tilting his head, he listened for a moment and with a satisfied nod turned to face his captain who sat down next to him. "What do you know about what happened this afternoon?"

"I know you took Sandburg back to your place and two hours later he's back in hospital and David's in another room. And you're sitting here with a split lip and a cut hand."

"Okay," Jim sighed and leant forwards resting his forearms on his knees. "Sandburg wasn't too happy about coming to my place so I had to tell him about the damage done to his place. He, uh, was quite upset over that. Anyway, when we got to the loft I told him about his mother and he just freaked."

"And?" Simon prompted when the other man became silent.

"You need to know a little bit of history that isn't common knowledge. When sentinels were rediscovered in the 1950s they were classified into three groups: lesser sentinels with low level senses, beta sentinels… "

"Like Edwards."

"…and alpha."

"Like you."

Ellison nodded. "Well, what a lot of people don't know is that alphas are then split into two groups: lesser and dark. Dark sentinels are stronger, more aggressive, harder. There have only been a handful of dark sentinels known worldwide during the last 60 years." He fell silent again.

"Jim?" Banks's voice was soft. "Are you one?"

"Yeah," his voice was more of a sigh. He sat up and leant back in his chair. "As you probably know guides are split into two groups: minor and senior. Most are senior guides and they're the ones who guide all three groups of sentinels."

"Even the dark sentinels?"

"It's not a true bond, but they do get on pretty well together."

"Wait a minute? Didn't Sandburg say that Barnes woman called herself a dark sentinel? If you say there're very few what are the chances of two being in Cascade right now?"

"We think it's because Sandburg's a dark guide. But we're pretty much in the dark, no pun intended, regarding dark guides because as far as anyone knows there's never been one in living memory. In fact, many people think they're a myth as the only information we have about them can be found in various folk tales from around the world."

"And are dark guides like dark sentinels? Stronger, more aggressive?"

"Not really. Oh, their emphatic powers are stronger, but that's not the main difference. Apparently, they can project their emotions and seeing what Sandburg did I'd say it's more than a theory. He sent David into overload and both Edwards and I were suffering big time. He was killing David and we were… So I… I don't know what happened really."

Simon kept quiet seeing how hard it was for his friend to find his words.

"Something was pulling at me. No, not at me, at the sentinel. God," he ran a hand over his face, "I jumped him. I lost control and pinned him down like I was arresting a perp. Needless to say he didn't like it and fought back. And then… damn it!" He jumped up from his chair and stood so his back was to Simon. "I bit him."

"What?"

Jim twisted round. "I bit him here." He indicated his neck. "Just like that nutcase Barnes woman. God, I bit him like an animal. I'm no better than that criminal."

The captain almost gaped up at his friend. He knew Ellison prided himself on being in control and to have lost it like that must be eating him alive. There being a number of sentinels and bonded pairs in the Cascade PD, Banks had a rudimentary understanding of how the symbiotic relationship worked. However, he was out of his depth here and knew it. He also knew that he had to calm the other man down.

"Jim, you're nothing like that woman. You didn't try to kill Sandburg. And I KNOW you. You may be seen as a hard ass…"

Jim raised an eyebrow at that.

"…but you do care. You simply don't show it much… Or at all, really." He ignored the sardonic look sent his way and ploughed ahead, "But now that you're bonded your control should be okay, no?"

"Yeah, but…"

"How are your senses?"

"Better. Much better. Incredible really."

"And that's good, no?"

"Yeah, but a bond's for life…"

"At least you're not bonded to someone like Jingles."

Jim snorted at the image of the pedantic and fussy administration officer in the Mayor's office. A low level guide, he would whistle TV publicity music under his breath: hence the nickname. Fortunately, he didn't want to bond because that whistling would drive any sentinel completely barmy within the space of a day.

"But you're right, Simon. How's he going to cope with being bonded to a cop in Major Crimes?"

Chapter 7

Blair looked up from his contemplation of his blanket-covered toes as his hospital room door opened and he sighed in relief as he saw his friend and fellow grad student slip in. "Oh Beavis, am I glad to see you."

Beavis, or Andrew Lee to give him his real name, approached Blair's bed and whistled softly. "Wow, Butthead, what the hell happened to you?"

"I'll tell you when we're on our way." The guide stopped in his ungraceful process of getting out of bed and squinted up at the other man. "You DO have a plan for getting me out of here, don't you? One that's going to work?"

"Whine, whine whine. You sure you're up to it? I mean you look pretty banged up there." He stopped and held up his hands as his friend gave him a lopsided glare. "Okay. It's cool, man. Yeah, yeah. Don't worry it's all arranged. Daisy's going to start a diversion in about ten minutes."

"Great. You're gonna have to help me dress. I'm a bit handicapped here. And no peeking at my butt! These hospital gowns leave nothing to the imagination."

"So, not only are you vertically and mentally challenged you're now also physically challenged? And anyway, I've seen your butt way more than I'd like. You're the one who likes skinny-dipping, not me," Andrew said from his lofty 6ft 2 inches height as he helped Blair pull up his jeans.

"Ha, ha. Do NOT quit your day job."

"I don't have a day job, remember? My parents are rich enough to keep me in the manner to which I am so totally accustomed."

Neither bothered mentioning that he was also intelligent enough to be doing a PhD in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and didn't need his parents' money to pay for his education. He'd managed to get a number of grants and scholarships for that and his parents merely contributed to his living expenses. Which is why he lived in a two-bedroomed house just off campus and drove a fairly new sports convertible. He and Blair had met when they were both doing their MAs. The fact that Andrew was several years older didn't bother either of them and they'd hit it off. Andrew had at first tried to persuade the other student to share his house, but Blair had refused. He knew that their lifestyles were totally different and that would become a problem over time and ruin their friendship. Also he valued his independence too highly to want to share with anyone. That wasn't to say that he didn't go and stay with Andrew for days at a time when it was really cold and the heaters in his warehouse were fighting a losing battle.

Just as Andrew finished tying Blair's laces on his trainers they could hear shouting at the end of the corridor outside. Poking his head out the door the tall grad student was relieved to see the uniformed policeman who'd been sitting outside the hospital room stand up and look towards the noise then turn back. Indicating that Andrew should go back in he stood in the doorway one hand on his gun and the other gripping the door handle.

"Lock the door after me. Don't open it until I tell you to. Okay? Only me or Ellison, you hear?"

"Understood, officer," the tall student's look and tone were sincere and the policeman closed the door and waited until he heard the lock engage before moving down the corridor.

After waiting several minutes, the two young men quietly opened the door and checked that no one was looking their way. Seeing the police officer was involved in a heated argument at the nurses' station they heaved a sigh of relief. Exiting they turned left and disappeared through the entrance to the stairs. Within minutes, they were out of the hospital and heading for Andrew's car.

Sandburg was looking around the car park hoping against hope that he wouldn't see a tall, buzz-cut sentinel heading his way. He heaved a sigh of relief as they climbed into the convertible and were on their way to his flat. Ellison had spent the night napping in the cot the hospital provided; standard procedure with bonded pairs and Blair had been beginning to feel caged at the physical presence of the big man. Just after breakfast, the detective had been called into the PD. After much grumbling and exhorting the uniform outside the room to protect his guide 'with his life', the man had eventually left. Blair had breathed a sigh of relief and had wasted no time in telephoning Andrew pleading with him to help him get out of there.

He gave his friend a quick explanation of what had been happening and then fell silent. Admittedly, he had conflicted feelings about what he was doing. He was desperate to take back control of his life, but he also felt as if he was abandoning Ellison. He resolutely pushed the latter feeling away. He hadn't ever wanted to bond. He'd wanted to stop his undercover work at the Centre. He was an anthropologist for God's sake, not a spy! And his mother… His thoughts skittered away from that particular hurt. It was too big and too painful to contemplate at the moment. And he couldn't even start to process the fact that he'd died! He could see long periods of meditation in his near future. His mother could meditate for… No! He WAS NOT going to think about his mother!

His thoughts were whirling around his head giving him a headache when they came to a stop. Looking round he realised that they were parked in front of the warehouse where he lived. Easing himself out of the car he shuffled over to the battered front door.

"There should be a key under there." He indicated a pile of bricks lying against the wall.

Finding it, Andrew unlocked the door and he followed Blair into the dark area.

"Man, oh man." The guide stood stricken at the devastation of his living space. It looked as if someone had tried to create some order out of it, but had quite obviously given up. He tottered over to a pile of torn papers and books and picked up the remains of a photograph. A sob escaped his mouth as he traced the ripped up face of his mother. Feeling his legs give out he collapsed onto a conveniently placed packing case.

"Fuck, Blair." Andrew was standing amongst the remains hands tugging at his hair. "You must have really pissed off that woman." He looked over at his friend noting the bowed and shaking shoulders. He crossed over to the seated man and knelt in front of him. Hesitantly, he put a hand out and gripped an upper arm. "I'm really sorry about your mother and… and all this. If there's anything I can do…" He trailed off uncomfortable about expressing his feelings despite their friendship.

Blair sniffed and looked up giving his friend a watery smile. "Thanks, Butthead." He looked around once more and clenched his jaw when he noted his smashed South American masks. They'd been collected during his travels with his mother and later when on expeditions as a student. Each one had a story linked to it and now they were… He shook his head. "Could you take me to Rainier, please?"

"You sure? You look pretty wiped out. Don't you think you should go back to the hospital?"

"No! Please, I just want to get my life back. I need… I really need…" His throat closed up as he tried to articulate his feelings.

"Okay, Beav. If that's what you really want."

"Thanks, man."

Andrew helped him up and with a hand hovering near his arm in case the smaller man wavered they exited out into the sunlight. He pulled the door shut and went to lock it.

"Don't bother," Blair's voice was cold and brittle. "I'd be glad if someone stole it all. I'm probably gonna have to pay someone to take away all that shit." He turned away before his friend could see the tears in his eyes.

Lee hesitated then locked the door anyway. Hiding the key back in its place he hurried after Sandburg feeling sorry for the man, but not knowing what he could do ease his pain.

Forty-five minutes later and with a shaking hand, Blair opened the letter the Humanities department secretary had given him along with the spare key to his office. She'd also given him the news that Chancellor Edwards was very, very (she'd emphasised the two 'verys') angry with him due to the wanton destruction of University property and the events that had happened at the Centre three days ago. It appeared that Barnes had not been content to destroy only his home but had continued her destructive rampaging on campus in his office/storage room. He and Andrew had been shocked into silence at the utter devastation that greeted them once the door was open. Blair had gone straight to his metal filing cabinet and pulled open the bottom drawer. With a sinking feeling, he confirmed that all his dissertation work: notebooks, CDs and books had not survived. Years of work gone in one fell swoop.

Having finished reading the letter he laid his head down on his crossed arms that were resting amongst the shattered pottery and torn paper that littered the top of his desk.

"Blair?" Alarmed at his friend's change in pallor, Andrew stepped forward. Not getting a reaction he picked up the letter lying next to Sandburg's left hand. He quickly scanned its contents. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! She can't do that. Man, what a bitch! Blair, you gotta fight this."

Blair didn't move or react in any way except to bury his head further into his arms. Andrew looked at the letter again and then at his fellow student wondering what he should do. Seeing the obviously distraught man's shoulders shake, he moved round the desk.

"Come on, man." He went to put a hand on his friend's shoulder, but stopped in alarm when the door to the office slammed open. He jumped in front of Blair in a futile effort to protect him when an obviously angry, large man strode into the room.

"Sandburg!"

Blair's head jerked up a look of despair and resignation on his face.

Chapter 8

Banks' secretary, Rhonda, gaped in shock at Ellison's smiling face and then slid her eyes over to Megan who was grinning at her reaction.

"Told you, mate," Megan positively chortled. "He's a changed man."

"And it's because he's bonded?"

"Yep."

"So what's his guide like? Have you met him?"

"Not yet. But I'd really like to if he's had this effect on old stone-face only after a few days!"

The man under discussion looked over to the two women and winked. He couldn't help it; he was feeling good. After all those years of putting off bonding with a guide he'd never have thought that the benefits were so dramatic. Bonded sentinels had tried to tell him, but he'd put it down to sentimental, or sentinelmental, hogwash. So here he was, senses humming along nicely and looking forward to getting back to his guide. His guide! He had a guide. For a moment his grin widened before he mentally shook himself and got back down to the report he was just finishing off.

Heads turned as his voice increased in volume and he rose from his chair.

"I'm on my way." He slammed the phone down and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair.

"Ellison, what's up?" Banks having heard the noise had come to his office door.

"My guide's gone missing from the hospital." He strode towards the exit.

"Connor, go with him."

"Why me?"

"Connor!"

"I'm going. I'm going. But don't you think a Pair should go as well?"

"Good idea. I'll get Langston and Michaels to meet you there."

Megan hated riding with Jim at the best of times and this was a long way from best. She clung to the dashboard as the blue and white pick up screeched its way round a corner and nearly clipped a parked car.

"Hey, Jimbo. You're not going to help your guide if we get creamed before we get there."

The sentinel didn't reply, but there was a slight lessening in the pick up's speed. They soon arrived at the hospital and Jim parked with little regard to regulations. Without even locking up the two detectives rushed into the building and up to the sentinel/guide floor. Coming out of the lift they turned left and almost ran down the police officer that was pacing to and fro in front of the nurses' station. He stopped and paled when he saw the sentinel bearing down on him, but bravely held his ground.

Everyone turned to face the sentinel/guide pair that had just exited the second lift. Sentinel Peter Langston was a Scene of Crimes Officer and his guide, Amanda Michaels, was a Scene of Crimes Photographer. They'd been bonded for many years and were considered the Pair to use when a calming presence was needed. They were also used to prove to people that the bond didn't create an unnatural relationship. Guide and sentinel were married – but not to each other. Langston was married to a very pretty, young primary school teacher. They had a five-year-old daughter who carried the sentinel gene. Michaels, six years older than her sentinel, had been married to her librarian husband for a number of years and they had two teenage boys.

Ellison went to speak, but Connor jumped in first, "Officer Paolini was just going to tell us what happened."

The young uniform gulped, as he became the object of scrutiny of everyone there.

"Well?" It was obvious that the Clan leader was holding on to his temper by the skin of his teeth.

"Eh, Sandburg told me that someone was coming to see him. He gave me his name and I checked his identity and let him in. There was then an altercation down the corridor. I told the two men to lock the door and not open it until I told them that it was all right to do so. I then went to investigate the disturbance. It was a young woman who was demanding that she be allowed to see her boyfriend. The nurses were dealing with it so I returned to Sandburg's room. I knocked on the door, but there was no reply. I knocked again and then tried the handle. The door opened and the room was empty. I checked the bathroom and then the cupboards where I noted that Sandburg's clothing was also missing.

"I called hospital security and we carried out a search of the unit and when no trace of Sandburg could be found I informed the PD. I was gone only a few minutes."

"You were supposed to keep him safe!" Ellison tried to advance on the man, but both Connor and Langston jumped forward and grabbed his upper arms. "Let me go!"

"Quiet! This is a hospital." Another voice entered the fray and Dr Holland pushed his way through the group to stand in front of the enraged sentinel. "Enough."

"No. He did everything right. He was here to make sure no one got in to Sandburg's room not to stop anyone from leaving."

"Sentinel Ellison," Michaels used her 'guide voice'. No one could say why, but if guides spoke in a certain way sentinels responded almost against their will. "We need to find Guide Sandburg and this isn't advancing us any." She waited while the detective visibly brought himself back under control. "It appears that he left under his own volition."

Ellison pulled his arms out of Megan and Langston's grasp and cupped the back of his neck. He took in a deep breath and stood up straighter. "Okay. Where'd he go?"

The officer just looked at him helplessly. "Um, Guide Sandburg said his friend's name was Andrew Lee and a fellow student. He was tall, around six one, six two and slim. Dark straight hair, dark eyes with evidence of Asian influence without it being too obvious."

"I'll get onto the University," Megan said and stepped away pulling out her mobile phone.

"Sentinel Ellison…" Michaels was using her guide voice again.

Jim the detective didn't want to be called 'sentinel', but Jim the sentinel was lapping it up.

"You're bonded," the guide continued, "you can feel him. Just concentrate." She looked at Langston and at his slight nod placed a hand on Ellison's arm.

Immediately, his senses strengthened and he felt a slight pull in the back of his mind. "North," he blurted out in wonder at being able to feel the connection. "His apartment is north." He whirled round and headed for the stairs knowing that the lift would take too long. He HAD to find his guide.

Followed by the Pair and Connor who was still trying to get an address out of the university, Jim rushed down the stairs and out into the hospital car park. He went towards his vehicle, but was stopped by Langston.

"Let me drive. You can't concentrate on finding him and drive at the same time."

The other sentinel hesitated for a second and then nodded.

On their way to Sandburg's warehouse digs, Ellison felt the pull move. "We have to go east. He's moving away, but I don't know where."

"It's not Lee's place," Megan commented. "His place is up round Maple Park." She'd finally been able to coerce, beg, threaten, the university into giving her the grad student's address.

"Isn't the university in that direction?" Michaels asked.

"Yes!" Jim felt the rightness of his position. "He's there. Quick."

Langston didn't even bother to comment, but merely turned the car around. He understood the other sentinel's consuming need to find his guide. He was merely grateful that his was sitting behind him with her hand on his shoulder. The hand tightened for a moment indicating that Michaels had felt his pleasure along their bond.

Ellison's frustration grew as only a kilometre from the campus the traffic came to a stop due to a minor, but extensive bumper bender. Three cars were involved blocking the whole road. The drivers were arguing loudly as to who was to blame and drivers stuck in the jam were letting their discontent known by excessive use of their car horns. Both sentinels winced. Langston, had his guide to help him reduce the input into his ear; Ellison was on his own. He moaned and leant forward covering his ears with his hands. Then before anyone could do anything he was out of the car and stalking towards the unsuspecting drivers.

"Go after him," Megan said quickly. "I'll deal with this. Just get him to Sandburg."

With a grateful look the Pair raced after Jim reaching him just as he was verbally castigating the three men arguing in front of their damaged cars. The largest of them turned and seeing a new target verbally attacked with gusto. Connor watching from the car could see the situation degenerating into a brawl.

"Senior Sentinel Prime," Langston called out loudly. The large driver froze and his mouth dropped open. In other circumstances it would have been amusing to see when, as one, the three arguing drivers took a step back. "We can't stay here, you need to get to your guide."

Ellison turned and like a guided missile (pun intended) strode through the drivers and onlookers who parted like the Red Sea. Michaels and Langston scurried to keep up. Connor could only grin at the expressions on everyone's faces.

She turned to the silent drivers and held up her warrant card. "Inspector Connor. Now, who wants to tell me what happened?"

As they got closer to the university Jim could feel a growing tendril of unease, which made him pick up his pace. He vaguely knew the campus, but had no idea where Sandburg's office was. For a moment he hesitated as they entered Rainier grounds. There were a number of students milling around and he pounced on a young man talking to two women.

"Anthropology. Where is it?"

"Wha?"

"Anthropology building. Where is it?"

"Over there," one of the women pointed to the left.

Ellison headed off and as the Pair followed Langston threw back a hasty thank you. He couldn't help but hear what was being said behind them as they moved away.

Once in the building, Ellison stopped and extended his senses. He could hear voices, phones ringing, chalkboards squeaking as they were written on and echoing footsteps. The smells of floor polish, chalk, coffee, sweat and pheromones from thousands of young men and women in their sexual prime impregnated the walls and he almost gagged. Seeing his distress, Michaels put her hand on his arm. His senses focussed and through all the distractions he smelt the clean smell of his guide and heard a voice say, "Fuck, fuck, fuck! She can't do that. Man, what a bitch! Blair, you gotta fight this."

He darted through a pair of swing doors and down a short flight of stairs into a darkened corridor. Dim light spilled out through a window set into a door behind which he could hear two heartbeats. His guide was in that room and was apparently in great distress. Not stopping he flung open the door. A tall, dark-haired man looked up in alarm and moved in front of the person sitting at a desk. Dark curls flew round as the person's head jerked up and Ellison found himself staring into the bright blue eyes of his guide.

"Sandburg!"

Chapter 9

Ellison looked worriedly at his newly minted, young guide sitting dejectedly on the settee staring out of the glass doors leading out onto the terrace. Somehow, he didn't think that those blue eyes were seeing the spectacular view of first the town and then the sea. His hands stilled on the counter top where he was cutting some bread for a late lunch. He was uncharacteristically undecided about what to do to get through to the other man and had resorted to preparing comfort food: tomato soup and cheese sandwiches with a glass of milk. A frightening number of medicine bottles were lined up along the kitchen counter. They were Blair's, prescribed by the hospital to stave off any infection that could be lurking in his lungs from having inhaled the dirty fountain water. Earlier Edwards and David had picked up the prescription, had collected the medicines and then had dropped them off at the loft. He made a mental note to himself to thank them the next time he saw them.

He carried the food over to the dining table and called out gently, "Chief. Sandburg, come and eat. I hope you like cheese." Truthfully he had no idea whether the young student was Kosher, vegetarian or a junk food addict. He went back in to the kitchen and opened the fridge door to grab a beer for himself and noted that it was the last one. "When would you like to take your pills? Before or after eating?"

Still nothing. The sentinel examined the fledgling connection between them and discovered that he couldn't feel his guide. What had happened? Was it deliberate or a result of the emotional overload that Sandburg was obviously experiencing? Although as a man he respected Blair's need to be left alone the sentinel in him demanded to be let in. He hesitated to join the grad student remembering the events that had taken place at the university earlier that morning.

As he'd burst into the anthropologist's office there was a tall man standing in front of his guide, whom he assumed was Andrew Lee. He'd tried to stop the sentinel from approaching the desk, but Ellison had brushed him aside as if he was a fly. His worry and concerns for Sandburg's well-being had boiled over into anger once he'd seen that he was apparently unharmed.

"Where the hell have you been? What on Earth do you think you were doing? Do you have any idea of the wasted time everyone's been put through while looking for you?"

Blair's silence had only fuelled his anger further and he'd gone to lift the younger man off his chair.

"Leave him alone you big bully! He doesn't want to go with you."

Two hands had grabbed him and had tried to pull him away. He'd turned to find that the other student was shouting in his face. How dare he try to separate him from his guide! His guide! He had then raised a fist to inflict punishment only to find face to face with said guide.

"Don't you dare hit him!" Sandburg had risen from his chair and had pushed Jim in the chest using his cast with great effect. The detective had been so surprised he'd taken a step back.

Just at that moment, Langston and Michaels had waded into the melee and had managed to calm everyone down. Lee had been apologised to, Ellison had been placated (no one was going to take his guide away from him!) and Sandburg had been inspected by his sentinel to make sure that no further hurts had been done to him. The senior sentinel had then decided to take his errant guide home and without further ado had hustled him out of his office only to realise, once outside, that they had no transport. An uncomfortable fifteen minutes had passed while they'd waited for Joel to bring Jim's vehicle from the PD.

Ellison had held on to Blair with a strong grip across his shoulders and had tried to get him to talk, but had only got back monosyllabic replies or a shake of the curly head. All the while Andrew had stood nearby glaring at the group. Despite being glared back at by the detective he'd asked his fellow grad student if he was really okay with going along with the other man. A short nod and a bent head had been the only response he'd got. He'd tried insisting, but eventually was led away by Langston who'd spent a moment talking quietly to him. Ellison didn't bother listening in; all his senses were concentrated on his silent guide.

Amanda had then tried using all her empathetic skills to break through his silence, but had had no better luck. She'd looked worriedly first at Ellison and then at her sentinel who in turn had raised an eyebrow at his Clan leader who had shrugged in reply. Eventually, the awkward silence had been interrupted by Megan's arrival with Langston's car followed quickly by Taggart.

Sandburg's silence had now been going on for over an hour. Having been working closely with him for several weeks, Jim was pretty certain that this was not the grad student's normal behaviour. In fact, generally it was difficult to shut the loquacious man up especially if he was worked up about something. Quietly, he approached the settee and sat next to his guide almost touching him. He'd tried talking. He'd tried being quiet and giving him time. Now, it was time for the man to take a back seat and the sentinel to take over. Leaning forward he sniffed at the other man's rigid throat. A tensing of muscles and an increased heartbeat was all the warning he had that Sandburg was going to try and bolt.

He snaked out an arm and wrapped it around his guide's upper body and brought him closer so that the man was tucked up against him. He ignored the weak struggles. He shifted Sandburg's body around and with his other hand he tipped the curly head back so it was resting on his shoulder.

"No, please," Blair's voice was quiet and plaintive. He was so tired and had no energy to protest more forcefully.

"Don't fight it. Come on, you need this as much as I do."

"I don't wa…" his voice faded as Ellison gently rubbed over the healing wounds on his throat with his thumb.

"Don't talk. Just feel," Ellison's tone was soft and encouraging. He dipped his head and his mouth gently covered the wound he'd made only yesterday morning even though it felt like it had happened a lifetime ago. Then, he'd almost been totally out of control as the dark sentinel in him had responded to the anguish being projected by Blair. Now, he was relieved to feel none of that mental despair and suffering emanating from the other man.

Sandburg stiffened and made a small mewl of protest. He tried to resist; tried to use the same defence he'd used against the female, dark sentinel. It was all to no avail, though. He felt himself spiralling out of control until he was caught up in Ellison's mind and his turbulent thoughts calmed. Gratefully, he realised that this sentinel wasn't trying to dominate or take control. Rather, there was a tentative probe, a questing for comprehension and a desire for complicity between the two men. Emotionally and physically exhausted, hurting more than he thought possible, Blair let the guide in him answer the sentinel's call and together the two men sank into the bond.

CCC CCC CCC CCC

The setting sun bathed the loft in a soft, golden light turning the stark space into a warm and inviting place. The rays hit Jim's face waking him. He blinked. Opening his eyes fully he looked down at the warm weight resting against him. From his position he could only see the top of Blair's head and the curly hair shifting with each exhalation. He felt a rush of affection flood through him for the sleeping man; God, he felt good! Bonding was better than sex. Well, almost, he hastily amended. That was a road he didn't want to go down as most people already had a distorted view of the bonding process. And anyway, he far preferred tall, leggy redheads with bumps on their chests to short, talkative, hairy students with bumps lower down on their bodies.

He didn't want to move, but unfortunately, his bladder had other ideas. Gently, he eased himself out from under his guide, stood up and stretched. He was pleased to hear the little noise of protest the man made as they lost physical contact. He sent out a warm, calming thought touching the grad student's mind with a feather-like touch. He was amazed at his mental control. Ghosting a hand over the curls he then took the blanket that was folded over the back of the settee and draped it over the sleeping man. He smiled as Sandburg made a snuffling noise and buried himself deeper into the cushions until only the top of his head showed.

As he passed the dining table he caught sight of the curling sandwiches drying on their plates. Fortunately, he'd had the forethought to turn off the burner under the tomato soup before the bonding session. He turned towards the bathroom. Coming out he had an idea and slipped through the red curtains that covered the entrance to the small room that nestled under his mezzanine bedroom. Small and dark and full of boxes it would make an ideal bedroom for his guide. Not for those reasons of course, but because with his guide being so close he'd be able to protect him and be lulled to sleep at night listening to his heartbeat. And wasn't it oh so convenient that Sandburg's warehouse had been trashed?

Planning out in his head what he'd need in terms of paint, curtains and furnishings he walked out of the room and almost burst out laughing at the sight that met his eyes. Fortunately, he managed to stop himself somehow knowing that the other man wouldn't appreciate it. Blair stood in the middle of the living room wrapped in the blanket from the settee like an Indian on a reservation. His eyes were at half-mast, he had creases in his left cheek and his hair stood out from his head in an impressive impression of a bird's nest. From where he was standing, Ellison had no problem hearing the gurgling in his guide's stomach. It set off a sympathetic gurgle in his own. He glanced at the dry sandwiches and congealed soup.

"Chief, d'you like Wonderburger?"

Chapter 10

The next two weeks were a revelation for Jim Ellison and Major Crimes. For Jim it was like he'd been given a new lease of life. His senses were humming and he was closing case after case with remarkable ease. And it wasn't only the senses that were helping him do this; he was very pleasantly surprised at his guide's depth of knowledge and how anthropology was so useful in solving crimes. His mastery of the computer and all things relating to forms and paperwork was simply heavenly and it was comical to see Jim preen when Banks commented on how much better his reports were.

His colleagues were extremely grateful to the young guide, but for a completely different reasons. Jim had always been a good detective, perhaps too focused on putting away criminals and not on the victims, but a decent person nevertheless. However, as a social human being his character had left an awful lot to be desired. A loner, he'd never joined in the joking that sometimes took place in the bullpen. Poker nights had been arranged without his presence and he'd never discussed Jags' games with the others. So, it was to great pleasant amazement when one morning he'd walked in with a box of doughnuts for everyone and had joined in the talk about the basketball game that had been on the television the previous evening.

Things in the Clan had also settled down as well, as all the sentinels acknowledged Ellison's superiority and his position as Clan leader. In fact many of them were completely blown away at how strong his senses had become and how he managed to control them with his guide's help. This effectively also shut up those sentinels who'd been jockeying for Ellison's position, which made the majority of the Clan members breathe a sigh of relief. The last time the he'd been challenged a sentinel was left for dead and his guide was now locked up in a mental institution.

So, everything was sweetness and light for Cascade's Senior Sentinel Prime and Senior Guide Prime – or not. In all the euphoria no one really noticed how Blair was becoming quieter or how he was losing weight. You could hardly blame them, as nobody really knew the young man who was now in their midst. In fact, the young guide was sinking further and further into depression. Cut off from everyone and everything he knew he had no idea how to get himself out of the despair he was feeling and who to ask for help. Still resentful of how the detective had lied and treated him he quite frankly didn't trust him. Normally, a sentinel would be able to detect such a situation with their guide, but Ellison had never been formerly trained and he was blinded by how well he was feeling and, despite their shaky start, how well everything seemed to have worked out.

CCC CCC CCC CCC

Blair looked up as his sentinel and Captain Banks walked out of the captain's office. Ellison was laughing at something the other man had said and looked totally relaxed. They approached Sandburg where he was typing up one of the detective's reports.

"Jim, I, and my superiors, thank the stars when you bonded with a grad student."

Neither of them noticed the small grimace that flitted across Blair's face.

"I didn't know that I knew so many multi-syllable words." The sentinel affectionately ruffled his guide's hair.

The two men laughed and Banks slapped Ellison on the back.

"Well, after working so hard you need to eat. Replenish your energy, you know? And I fancy one of Mr Billies' spicy quarter pounders with bacon. What d'you think?"

"Sounds good to me. What about you, Chief?"

"Oh, um. No, it's okay. I'll stay here. I'm not that hungry."

"You sure? You do too much work here. You need to relax."

"I really want to finish this report and then I'll get a sandwich."

Ellison's eyes narrowed as Blair's heartbeat increased and he opened his mouth to ask him what was going on.

"Come on, Jim. He obviously doesn't want to be seen with two old men like us. I'm sure he's got better plans. Let's go. That burger's calling my name." Simon pulled on his coat and walked out of the bullpen.

Blair ducked his head and stared at the papers on his desk almost holding his breath.

"All right, Chief," Ellison said eventually and pulled his jacket off the back of his chair. "I shouldn't be long. And remember, if you leave the building don't go alone. That woman's still out there. Take an officer with you or a member of the Clan."

Having met the Clan sentinels that were police officers, Blair thought it highly unlikely that he would have anything to do with them. Basically, they were Ellison clones: big, buff and bossy. And the bonded ones were worst. They moved around the PD with smug looks whenever they were with their guides as if to say, 'Look at us? We're bonded and vastly superior to you.' He also hated how they treated their guides as if they were mindless and fragile. At least Jim didn't do that, he thought. Well, not all the time.

"Blair?"

"Yeah, okay. No sweat."

The guide continued typing until he was certain that the two men had left the building. His hands then stilled and he stared unseeing at the computer screen. Digging into his trouser pocket he pulled out his wallet and opened it. Twenty dollars hadn't miraculously appeared in its empty slots. It was still as depressingly empty as it had been that morning. He stared at the single credit card it held. There was no point in trying to use that, as his bank account was as empty as his wallet. God, he was hungry, but he couldn't, wouldn't ask Ellison for money. He wasn't gong to be a kept man!

He'd just have to go and get another cup of coffee from the break room; at least that was free. And if he was lucky maybe someone had brought in some cakes or doughnuts. He had to make a pit stop first, though. Three cups of coffee now needed to make their way out of his body! Taking a deep breath he shakily stood up and made his way into the men's toilet. He sighed in relief when he found it empty and made his way to the line of washbasins where he splashed cold water on to his face. Looking up he stared into the eyes of the person staring back at him in the mirror.

Who was he? Oh, he had the same eyes and same curly hair as that eager grad student who'd gone to work at the Centre thinking he was going to do great things. How the mighty were fallen,' he laughed to himself. How did he get to this place? What the hell was he doing here? He'd never wanted to bond and here he was, guide to the most senior sentinel in Cascade. Not to say that Ellison was a bad man, or that he treated Sandburg badly. In fact, he was solicitous of his guide. He'd done up the spare room asking him his opinion as to what colours and furnishings he'd wanted. He encouraged him to leave his room and they spent the evenings watching television or DVDs. And not once had he forced him to bond always asking him if he wanted to.

Sandburg was still handicapped with his broken arm, but Jim never complained about helping him button up his shirts or tie up his shoelaces. He'd asked about the foods he liked and what sort of activities he liked doing. He was obviously trying to make up for the way they'd bonded and the lies he'd told him regarding his mother, but… Blair took in a shaky breath. But Jim, caught up in the newly-bonded feeling that painted life in a golden glow, didn't KNOW his guide; didn't know the person that had been Blair Sandburg, Anthropology Graduate Student, Teaching Assistant and ABD. Didn't know that his dreams of being a world-famous anthropologist were now lying shattered at his feet, that he missed teaching with a fierce ache or…

With a groan he curled over the washbasin and rested his flushed face on the cool porcelain. This wasn't him. He mentally shook himself. Where was the person who'd started university at sixteen as an emancipated minor? The person who'd stood up to loggers with his friends, refused to bow down to Ventriss and his money when the student had been caught cheating…? The confident student on the cusp of getting his Ph.D., the TA who regularly taught to packed auditoriums, who'd gone on expeditions to war torn countries and faced down marauding natives. The outgoing man who had a large circle of friends and who dated on a regular basis…

Having minored in Psychology for his Masters he recognised that he was depressed, but what the hell could he do about it? He had no money and was being sued by the university for even more of what he didn't have. He had no status other than that of Guide to a sentinel. For the first time in his life he felt adrift and without purpose and, oh God, he missed his mother. His breathing quickened…

"Blair?"

He jumped almost smashing his nose. Straightening up he rubbed at his face and turned to face the intruder. Joel Taggart was standing just inside the door with a concerned look on his face.

"Blair," he repeated, "what's wrong?"

"Uh, nothing. I'm fine."

"Sorry to contradict you, but you don't look it." The captain's tone was solicitous and he took a small step towards the obviously distraught man.

"It's nothing." Blair shifted uncomfortably and pushed away from the washbasin. "I need to go and finish Jim's reports. You know how cranky he gets if they're not done in time." He gave a little laugh that was patently forced and went to go past the former bomb squad captain.

"And where is Jim?"

"Went to lunch with Captain Banks."

"And you didn't want to go?"

"I'm not really that hungry." He tied to edge past the taller man when his stomach betrayed him and gave a massive rumble. A large hand shot out and gripped his upper arm gently. He stilled, his head averted and his eyes looking down to the floor.

Sandburg's emotions were all over the place. God, he was NOT going to cry! A sob was torn out of his body against his will. Gentle arms drew him into a solid chest and a hand cradled the back of his head. His emphatic abilities allowed him to feel the genuine, non-judgemental concern flowing out from the man holding him. It was too much. The dam broke and he cried out his despair and disappointments into the other man's chest and all the while Taggart held and comforted him.

Chapter 11

Ellison burst through the bullpen doors and frantically looked around. "Where is he?" Brown and Rafe looked up in surprise at his noisy entrance. "Where – is – he?"

Simon rushed in after him having waited for a lift rather than climb the seven flights of stairs as his detective had done. The pair of them had been enjoying their greasy burgers and had been talking about going camping with Blair and Daryl, Simon's son when Jim suddenly stiffened. For a few moments the captain hadn't realised that Ellison had checked out of the conversation and then had ground to a halt at seeing his detective's vacant look.

'Oh, God,' he'd thought, 'had he zoned?' He'd cleared his throat, "Uh, Jim? You all right?" Was he going to have get Sandburg here?

The sentinel had stood up letting his cutlery fall to the table. "Blair!"

"What? Where?" Simon had also stood looking around the restaurant expecting to see the guide.

"Something's the matter." Ellison had started for the door oblivious to the stares coming from the staff and other customers.

Simon had thrown some money on the table and had quickly followed the other man. He'd caught up with him on the pavement and had grabbed his arm. "Wait a minute. What's going on?"

"Blair's upset." He'd turned to look at his captain. "Come on. We need to go."

"Call him."

"What?" Ellison had stared at him impatience clear in his eyes.

"Call him on his cell, while I drive." Banks had been under the impression that his normally on the ball friend, hadn't been firing on all cylinders.

"Oh, yes. Good idea. Come on."

The ten-minute drive back to the PD had been fraught with tension, as the sentinel had tried desperately to get hold of his guide. At one stage Simon had been certain that Jim had been growling. At their arrival people had flattened themselves against the walls as the detective had rushed through the corridors and up the stairs to Major Crimes.

"Come on, Jim. I have a good idea he knows what's going on." Simon took hold of the sentinel's upper arm and guided him to his office.

On entering, they found David and Joel seated at the conference table. Edwards pulled out a chair next to his guide for his Clan leader and once the other man was seated he sat so that Jim was seated between them. Simon looked at Taggart who nodded at the chair on his right. Even before his captain was seated, Jim rounded on his second in command.

"What's going on? Where's Sandburg?"

Surprisingly it was Taggart who answered, "With Megan getting something to eat."

The detective nodded and turned his eyes to the former Bomb Squad captain.

"Jim, I found Blair in the men's room in a right old state. At first, he didn't want to tell me what was the matter, but eventually I got the story out of him. Before I tell you what he said I need to ask you some questions."

"Wha…?" Ellison subsided at his captain's glare and looked enquiringly, if somewhat mutinously, at Taggart.

"Have you registered Blair as your guide, yet?"

"No. I was going to do it…"

"Has he been put on your medical insurance?

"Not yet."

"So who's playing his medical bills?"

Jim opened his mouth, but Joel rode over his explanation with the next question. "Have you done anything about his return to Rainier?"

"I didn't know I needed to…"

"Have you made arrangements for him to see his mother's grave?" Joel's voice was implacable.

"Um, I haven't thought… I didn't…"

"Have you been aware that Blair's been losing weight?"

Ellison went to open his mouth then paused. With a sinking feeling he could see where this was all going. "Joel, what did Blair tell you?" He asked softly.

Taggart's stern face relaxed a bit; he couldn't be totally angry with this man. He'd never gone through the sentinel education system having been a late bloomer, so he could be forgiven some of the blunders he'd made. As far as he was concerned the Clan itself and the Cascade PD had also been less than stellar in their handling of the guide.

"I'll tell you about the university first, because I, to my shame, have a hand in this as well. When Blair got to his office the day he left the hospital without telling us there was a letter waiting for him. He'd been fired from his teaching position due to his long unexplained absence and also was no longer eligible to complete his Ph.D. This meant he was going to have to start paying back his student loans."

"But we told the Commissioner's office to write to Rainier explaining the situation!" Ellison protested.

"Apparently, it was never done and we never checked."

"But…"

"Let me finish and then you can explode."

Ellison nodded curtly.

"He then received another letter from the university asking them to reimburse all the damage done to his office. Considering that the office contains many artefacts and rare written records, the total amounts up to a pretty penny."

"Why didn't he come to me and explain all this? I'm his sentinel for God's sake!"

"You're also the person who lied about his mother and forced him to bond with you." He held up his hand to stop the other man from speaking. "We all know the reasons why, but just for a moment, look at it from his point of view. He'd been taken from all his friends, from his work, his property destroyed, all his dissertation work destroyed. He longer had a job except to play second fiddle to a sentinel." Both sentinels bristled at that, but Joel ignored them. "He'd been injured, is being sued, has no money and he's lost his only relative, who was his mother to boot. D'you think he's thinking properly?" Despite his best intentions, his voice rose in anger.

Jim looked poleaxed. Before he could gather his wits together, Edwards spoke, "Senior Sentinel Prime, as your second in command I also am guilty. You do your job as Clan leader so well we tend to forget that you've not had the same training as us. Had you registered Sandburg as your guide he would be now receiving the Guide's Allowance. It's not an enormous amount, but at least he would have had enough to buy clothes, food etc."

"But he eats at home with me," Jim's voice was no longer angry, but bewildered and plaintive.

"And when he's here at the PD?" Joel asked gently. "How often does he go out eating with you or do you see him eating something in the break room?"

Jim frowned.

"Not only that," Edwards continued. "He would've gone for counselling at the Guide Centre as you should have done. You know that it's mandatory for anyone forced into a bond. I'm sorry. I failed you and more importantly, I failed your guide."

"As have I," David spoke for the first time looking extremely apologetic.

The senior sentinel looked around the table reeling from all the information he'd been given. During the last two weeks when he'd been on cloud seven his guide had been depressed and hurting and he'd not seen it. What good were these senses if he couldn't even detect what was going on with the man with whom he had an intimate, mental connection? His lip curled up in self-recrimination.

"Jim, stop it," Banks' voice cut through his morbid thoughts. "This isn't the time for apportioning blame. I think what Joel and Edwards are trying to say is that we had better make things right. We were all caught wanting on this one."

"We?" Ellison's tone was sarcastic. "What have you done that you need to be reproached for?"

"Sandburg maybe a guide and I admit I don't really understand this sentinel/guide shi… business, but he's also a member of Major Crimes. It's my responsibility to make sure that he's integrated into the team with the minimum of problems and that like all my men he knows he has my support."

Silence greeted this statement for a moment. Jim looked with gratitude at his friend and gave him a small smile.

"Right," the captain continued, "we now need a plan of action."

"First, we go and sort out the bastard who fucked up when they didn't do the letter for Rainier."

"I'll deal with that," Simon jumped in. "You have a much harder task – making up to your guide."

"Joel, where is he?" Ellison turned towards the other captain.

"He's over at the vegetarian bistro on Cooper Street."

"He's a vegetarian?" Jim asked in horror thinking about all the meals they'd shared in the loft: meat lovers' pizza, grilled steaks, lasagne…

"No. It's just that he really likes vegetables."

"You gave him money, didn't you?" Jim went to put his hand in his pocket.

"Forget it. It was my pleasure."

"But.."

"No, really. I wanted to."

"Thanks."

"Okay," Banks interrupted the two men, "Sandburg's okay for the moment in Megan's tender care." He ignored the sardonic snorts and incredulous looks he got from the others. The Australian Inspector was a fine police officer, but she wasn't known for her 'soft' side. "I take it that you, Edwards, and David are going to sort out the guide registration and counselling?"

The two men nodded and Edwards turned to Ellison. "I'll let you know when your first appointment's going to be and if you give me his details I'll start the registration process. All you'll have to do is take him in and sign the papers."

"Thanks."

"I'll see what I can find out about his mother," Joel offered. "I know his name's Jewish, but I don't know if he practices." He looked at Jim enquiringly who shrugged his shoulders. Another thing he didn't know. "Well, that's something to find out. He lost all of his stuff when that woman destroyed his apartment. Maybe the PD can do something there?"

Banks was nodding his head. "He was working on a police matter when that happened. I'll make sure that the department's insurance replaces the maximum possible."

Jim looked at his colleagues – no, his friends - with gratitude. He then sobered as he thought about what he was going to have to do now. His guide was hurting and lost and it was up to him to try and make things right. They'd got off to a bad start so a new start was needed. "Okay, that all sounds good. But I'm going to sort out that Chancellor myself. My guide is going to get his doctorate."

CCC CCC CCC CCC

The most important sentinel in Cascade, Clan leader, Detective James 'Jim' Ellison, former Ranger, ex-special ops agent and general badass sat nervously in his vehicle contemplating his residence. And why was he vacillating? One longhaired, short, stubborn, opinionated guide was waiting for him in his loft and he had to go and speak to him. Apologise, comfort, be touchy feely – all the things he hated doing. In fact, he'd rather single-handedly face a machine gun emplacement armed only with an umbrella and a rolled up newspaper.

He rubbed his hands over his face and took in a deep breath. 'Come on, Ellison,' he berated himself. 'You know damn well that he deserves this and more!' He glanced at the parcel on his passenger seat. It contained a top-of-the-range laptop he'd bought to replace the one destroyed at Sandburg's warehouse. He hoped that the younger man would see it not as an attempt to buy him, but as the apology it was intended to be and a promise of how things were going to be for now on. Deciding that he'd prevaricated long enough he picked up the box, opened his door and froze when something cold and hard pressed into his neck.

"Senior Sentinel Prime," said a low, purring voice, "we finally meet face to face – so as to speak."

"Bannister?" Jim breathed the name.

"I prefer Barnes. Alex Barnes. Now, I believe that you have something that belongs to me."

Chapter 12

Blair relaxed back into the settee and admired the view in front of him. The attractive Australian Inspector was bopping along to the CD playing on the stereo while making tea in the kitchen of the loft. He must be getting better if he was noticing beautiful women again. Having had a good lunch helped, but he was still emotionally and physically exhausted. And, if he had to be honest, a little embarrassed at his losing it in front of Joel. Fortunately, the large man had been kindness itself and had taken Blair's meltdown in his stride.

"Who did you say this was again?" Megan asked as she walked towards him carrying two mugs.

"Louise Attaque. It's a French group," he replied taking the mug she held out to him.

The woman sat down next to the young guide and sipped at her tea. "I must admit, I never thought that vegetarian could taste so good."

"I'll pay Joel back."

"Uh, uh. That's something you have to talk to him about, but I don't think he'll want to listen."

"But I…"

"Listen, mate, it's no point talking to me."

The young man nodded and resolved to speak to the large captain with such kind eyes. But where he was going to find the money, he didn't know. Later, he'd deal with that later and simply enjoy feeling his life was normal even if it was just for a few hours.

They sat in companionable silence for a moment and Blair felt his eyes drooping with fatigue. Megan looked at him out of the corner of her eye. She'd been pleasantly surprised at the bistro, as the young man had seemed to emerge from his shell a bit. He'd regaled her with some of his adventures on expeditions he'd been on as a student. Then suddenly he'd obviously remembered that now as a bonded guide such expeditions were now a thing of the past and he'd fallen silent again.

She wanted to see that light in his eyes again and hear the same enthusiasm in his voice and she wracked her mind for something to say. However, there were so many subjects that were taboo: guides and sentinels, university, his family, travelling, friends, girlfriends… Oops, she saw his mug begin to slip and managed to grab it before its contents tipped out on the floor.

"Wha…? Oh, sorry. I didn't realise how tired I am." He rubbed his hand through his hair and yawned.

"Why don't you go and have a snooze? I'll just wait here till Jim gets here."

"If I sleep now I won't sleep tonight. Tell me about yourself."

"Sure?"

He nodded and pasted an encouraging look on his face.

She shrugged. "Not much to tell, really."

"Oh, come on. An Aussie in Captain Banks' court?"

She laughed at the film reference and then made the mistake of looking into his eyes. Puppy dog eyes had nothing on him! "I bet all the girls fall for that expression!" He stiffened and his eyes became shuttered. "What? What's the matter, you prefer men?"

"No. Women are just great, thanks."

"Then what?"

Blair looked away a blush staining his cheeks.

"Don't tell me you're a virgin?" She laughed, as he turned even redder. "I see the way you've been eyeing up the women at the PD."

He laughed, too, but it wasn't a pleasant sound. "I had a healthy love life."

"Had?" She was beginning to get annoyed with his evasive manoeuvres. "You're not dating anymore?"

"How can I?" He burst out and lurched off the settee turning his back to her. "How can I go out with a girl now? Bring one back here? God, Ellison would be able to smell our pheromones, hear us… I can't, I just can't."

"I don't understand. Jim can't expect you to be a monk, can he?"

"A Jewish monk. That'll be a first."

"Blair! I just can't believe that Jim's insisting you stay celibate. I mean look at Michaels. She's married and Langston doesn't seem to mind."

"No, he hasn't said anything. It's just, he's a sentinel and he'll know. I mean everyone knows. I'm not exactly shy when it comes to dating, but it's different when you're bonded. Oh, God, he'll be able to feel my emotions! Has he felt it when I look at a woman? Does he know when I've been turned on. Oh…"

Megan stood up and put her arm around his shoulders. " Calm down a moment. Have you spoken to him?"

"Oh, yeah. I can just see it. Senior Sentinel Prime Ellison, could you dial down your hearing and smell because I want to bring a woman into your home and have sex. I mean, I want to have sex with her, not him."

That almost made her laugh at the image, but she managed to swallow it back. "I really do think you're making a mountain out of a molehill. You need to speak to him." She ignored the snort coming from the guide. "I know he seems unapproachable, but he's really changed since he bonded with you. He could even be called human, which believe me, before your arrival was not even a possibility."

"Really?"

"Yeah…" Her reply was interrupted by a knock on the front door. She put her finger up to her mouth, pulled out her gun out and walked over to stand close, but also to one side of the entrance. "Who is it?"

"Sentinel Ellison."

She and Blair exchanged looks. Jim never introduced himself as a sentinel. Something was obviously up. She indicated that the guide should go into his room where there was a fire escape so he could escape if need be.

"Don't you have your key?"

"My arms are full. Come on, Megan, open up." He never called her by her first name.

Blair went to move to his rooms when he stopped. He could feel Jim through their connection and he felt – anxious? But, there was something else. Another sentinel? He concentrated and realised that he recognised the tingling that cursed through his body. It was her! The sentinel that had killed him.

"Megan," he whispered.

She turned towards him and gestured with her hand towards his room.

No, no, she didn't understand. He mouthed the word 'sentinel' and she frowned at him.

Blair shook his head and the Australian woman again gestured with her hand, but with a bit more force. She just wasn't getting it. He looked around frantically and saw the note pad and pen Jim used for telephone messages. Awkwardly holding the pen in his left hand, he wrote out a shaky 'sentinel' and 'Bannister' then held it up to her. She frowned and then all hell was let loose.

Gunshots thudded into the door. Connor dove for Sandburg and pushed him behind the settee. He sprawled on the floor ungracefully with an 'oomph' and she almost straddled him. Before she could bring her gun up to face the door again it was pushed violently open. Ellison moved forward jerkily and she realised that there was someone small behind him holding a gun to the back of his head.

"Shoot and I'll kill him! Put your gun down, now!"

Megan hesitated and saw the blond woman, who she now recognised as Barnes, grind the gun barrel harder into the detective's head.

"Don't do it," he ground out and received a tap on his head for his pains.

"Shut up. Listen lady, I'm a sentinel and I know exactly what you're going to do before you've even decided. I will blow his head off unless you put the gun down."

"But then you won't have a hostage," Megan said slowly bringing up her gun.

"Oh, believe me when I say I'll be able to get both of you at the same time." Megan's shoulders slumped slightly as she saw the female sentinel point another gun at her this one held in her left hand. "And don't think I'll miss. I've spent hours practising shooting with both my hands. So, you'll both be dead and I'll get what I came for anyway."

"Barnes, give it up. Someone will've heard the shots and called the police. Once they recognise this address there'll be here in minutes," said Jim.

"Which is why we're going to hurry up. Sandburg, come here." Blair peered out shakily around the corner of the settee. He stared wide-eyed at the woman and shook his head. "I'll kill him and that woman. Is that what you want? Do you want me to kill this sentinel?"

Blair was torn. Although he hated the idea of being bonded he couldn't bear to see his sentinel hurt. It was well known that sentinels were overprotective of their guides. However, it was not so well known that guides were equally protective of their sentinels. He shifted on the floor and felt Megan's hand on his head urging him to stay still. He moved again and the Australian hissed at him, "Keep still."

"What's it to be, Guide Sandburg? Are you going to come quietly or are you going to be responsible for the deaths of this sentinel and that woman?"

"Don't you listen to her, Chief! Ow! Back off woman!" Ellison snarled as he was again hit on the back of his head.

"I'm losing patience here. You, drop your gun. I won't say it again." She pressed her gun hard into Ellison's head so that it was pushed forward making him look a bit like a turtle.

Connor looked at the detective and at his slight nod of the head laid her gun on the floor.

"At last. Sandburg?"

Blair could feel an insane need to giggle when both sentinels cocked their heads in unison in the classic listening position. He looked up into his sentinel's eyes.

"I can hear the sirens, Blair. There almost here. Just hold on." He grunted and crumpled to his knees as a massive pain blossomed in the back of his head.

"Jim!" The young guide awkwardly pushed himself off the floor.

Megan made a lunge for her gun, but fell back with a cry when Barnes' gun fired. She collapsed onto Sandburg and was still.

"Do you want me to put a bullet in his head?" The female dark sentinel was standing over the downed detective one of her two guns pointing at his head. Seeing his slight headshake she put her second gun into the waistband of her trousers. She then strode towards the trembling guide and wound her hand into his curls. She pulled him up and placed the barrel of her gun just under his left eye. "Good to see you again," she said sarcastically. "Now, let's go."

Dragging him along by his hair, Blair was surprised when they moved towards his room and not the front door. She went unerringly to the fire escape. Not letting him go, she placed her gun on the back of his head. "Open it."

With great difficulty he pulled back the bolts with his left hand and shoved the door open. She pushed him through and they were out in the open. "Down," she barked.

"I can't. In case you haven't noticed I've got a broken wrist, which I might add, you caused."

"Believe me, if necessary I'll drop you. You can't run far with two broken legs."

He gulped and turned to put his foot on the first rung. Just as he started down the metal ladder he glanced back into the loft. He couldn't see Megan at all and all he could see of Jim was the top of his head and a growing pool of blood.

Chapter 13

"Blair, Chief. Where are you?"

Jim's plaintive calls for his guide were hard to listen to for anyone. For the Clan sentinels and guides amassing at 852 Prospect Place it was sheer agony. They all breathed a sigh of relief when a car pulled up and Michaels and Langston spilled out of the doors.

"Third floor." Lisa opened the door to the building and started for the stairs her guide and the guide/pair close on his heels.

They burst into the loft onto a scene of controlled chaos. Paramedics were just wheeling a gurney holding Megan towards the front door. The woman was awake and complaining bitterly behind the oxygen mask that had been fixed over her face. Rafe was trying to calm her down and not get in the way of the medical team. However, the Pairs' attention was all on the blue settee where their Clan leader was being treated for a nasty cut on the back of his head. Edwards and David were seated on either side of him while Captain Banks was pacing back and forth in front.

Lisa and Karl followed the gurney out and pulled the door closed behind them. Langston and Michaels had to brace themselves against the emotional backlash that was filling the room.

"We'll get him back. I promise, Jim. We'll get him back." David was stroking the detective's forearm with slow, controlled movements. He and his sentinel looked up in relief as Michaels approached.

"BlairBlairBlair." Ellison's voice had fallen into a keening monotony and his hands were clenched into fists on either side of his head.

Edwards jumped up ceding his place to the older guide. Michaels perched on the armrest of the settee not quite touching the suffering sentinel. Langston hovered behind his guide trying to ignore the possessiveness that building in his gut. Amanda looked up at him an unspoken question in her eyes. She laid a hand a hand against his cheek. "Yours, my sentinel."

He cupped her hand with his own. "Yours, my guide." He breathed in her scent. "Help him."

She smiled at him and then turned to the stricken sentinel. "Senior Sentinel Prime, may I touch you?"

At first, Jim said nothing and then not stopping his litany, he nodded jerkily. The paramedic had finished and knowing what to do when a sentinel was emotionally overwrought withdrew quietly. Amanda nodded at her in thanks and slipped down to sit next to him. She gently placed her hand on Ellison's arm all the while talking softly to not irritate him further, "Let me help. I'm not here to take your guide's place. Blair Sandburg is your guide. Your bonded guide. I have no wish to bond with you, but you're hurting and I can help you with that."

She smiled slightly when she heard the whispered "Mine" so soft it was almost a breath. She opened up her empathy and the sentinel jerked. "No, Jim, calm down. I know I'm not Blair and I'm not your guide, but let me help…" Her hand was in constant motion running up to his shoulder and down to his wrist.

He tried not to, but Langston could do nothing else other than hover over his guide while she helped their Clan leader in his moment of need.

Edwards walked over to where Banks was now staring out of the large windows talking into his mobile. He finished his conversation and turned to look at the sentinel. "So, you think it's that dark sentinel woman that's taken Sandburg?"

"I'm pretty sure, but once Ellison's got his himself back under control he should confirm that."

"What's she going to do to him? I thought a bond was for life and it couldn't be broken unless one of them died?"

"That's usually the case."

"So, why didn't she kill Ellison? That would leave her free to bond with his guide."

"It would have probably sent Sandburg into overload and as he's a dark guide – "

"He would have done that projection thingy?"

"Yeah, well that 'thingy'," Edwards said sardonically having experienced it himself, "most likely would have been uncontrollable without a bond and Barnes would most probably burn out herself."

"So, what? If she can't bond with him…?" Banks stared at the SWAT officer convinced he was holding back something. He suspicion was confirmed when the man gave Ellison a glance and then moved further into the corner.

"She could flat line him," he whispered, obviously uncomfortable with the subject.

"What?"

"Shh." He looked at over at the settee again where it appeared the two guides were making headway with the distraught sentinel. "Stop his heart so he's technically dead and then revive him. That could break the bond."

The captain looked at him in horror. "Kill him?" Even though his voice was soft it still expressed all the horror he felt.

Simon opened his mouth to reply when all hell broke loose. Ellison rose off the settee surging past the two guides and sending David to the floor.

"Chief!" There was such anguish in his voice it almost brought tears to everyone's eyes. His eyes darted round the room. "I can't feel him." He turned and grabbed Amanda's arm. "He's gone. Oh, God, he's gone."

"Senior Sen… Oh, who cares about protocol? Jim, Jim. Listen to me." The female guide rose so she was standing in front of him one hand on his chest and the other trying to grasp his cheek.

Banks turned to Edwards. "She's done it? Already?"

"I don't think so." The sentinel moved towards his Clan leader. "If Sandburg were dead, Ellison would be too or a quivering wreck on the floor. But then again, he's a dark sentinel. Maybe he could withstand the break."

Michaels had been joined by Langston and they were holding onto Ellison who was fighting to get free.

"Chief, Chief!" The man's cries were getting louder. He managed to free an arm and walloped Langston round the ear. Edwards waded in and threw his arms round the other sentinel's upper body.

"Peter," Amanda gasped out, "in my bag, the Bentinate." She was holding onto Ellison using her empathy to calm the man. "David, link."

The younger guide moved forward hesitantly and then placed his hands over those of the woman. For a brief moment, Jim calmed and then reared up again. Banks hovered around the group unsure of what to do. When the man looked as if he was going to get free the captain moved forward to help.

"Don't touch him!" Langston's voice stopped him. "You don't know how to shield your emotions and in this state you could hurt him." He moved towards the sentinel injection in hand. "Hold him!" He darted forward, pulled Jim's shirt open at the neck and managed to stick the needle into the top of his shoulder.

The affronted sentinel roared and as his legs began to buckle he turned accusing eyes towards his 'attacker'.

They gently moved him to the settee and lifted him onto it. As his head hit the cushions his eyes closed. Just before going completely under he opened his eyes one more time and searched again for his guide. "Blair…" his plaintive cry was no more than an exhalation of breath, but it resonated through the room like a prayer.

CCC CCC CCC CCC

"Don't even try it," the voice hissed in his ear.

For a moment, Blair had thought that once at the bottom of the fire escape he'd be able to give the woman the slip. Unfortunately though, she'd again twisted her hand in his hair and had kept him in place. She urged him to the end of the alley where a car was waiting engine idling.

"Get in and make it quick. And if you even so much as call attention to us I'll shoot anyone I see." The young guide gulped and climbed into the back of the car. Barnes quickly followed and pressed her gun into Blair's side. "Move."

At first he thought she was talking to him when he noticed the woman in the driver's seat. The dark-haired beauty blew a kiss at Alex and they pulled away not too fast and slipped into the traffic just as a couple of black and whites screeched up to the front of the building. The sentinel pushed him down so he was under the level of the window and they built up speed. He could feel the excitement and pleasure coming from the two women and something else… He swallowed when he noticed that the strongest emotion battering against his barriers was bonding heat. He almost giggled in relief as he realised that it was directed at him, but it was rather between the two women. Which meant that the driver was a guide. She had to be a minor though, because the signal was very weak.

He tried to raise his head, but it was unceremoniously pushed down again. The car turned to the left and picked up speed. They'd obviously turned onto the motorway and Blair tried to figure out which direction they were now travelling in. He slid into the door as the car swerved sharply. A grunt escaped his lips as something stabbed him in the back, probably the door handle.

"Okay, Guide Sandburg, I'm going to give you something to make you sleep. No, don't panic," the sentinel continued as she felt him tense under her hand. "I'm not going to hurt you – unless you give me reason to. It's guide friendly, so you don't need to worry. We just don't want you to know where we are and we don't want you projecting, do we?"

Blair tried to protest, but due to the space he couldn't get any purchase and the hand on his head kept him down. He could feel panic start to curl in his stomach and all the moisture was sucked out of his mouth. He felt something prick his neck and a burning sensation from the point of contact spread up into his jaw. Suddenly, his head felt too heavy to hold up and he sent out an agonising call through his bond, "Jim!" For a second, he thought he heard an answering call then it was abruptly cut off. Just as he went under he sent an accusing look to his kidnapper; she'd injected him with more than a sedative.

Barnes felt the man under her hand stiffen as she injected the sedative/dampener into his neck. She stroked his curls. "Shh, shh. Don't fight it," she murmured. His body stilled and she relaxed. Bending her head she breathed in the essence that was the guide. Even though she could feel the bond he had with that other sentinel, he still called to her and she had to resist trying to storm into his mind and possess him. 'Patience,' she told herself, 'soon he'll be yours. Patience.' Just as she felt him going under something jolted her psychically and she shivered.

Chapter 14

Soft voices intruded into his consciousness. He blinked his eyes open and for a moment he wondered where he was. A few seconds later he'd worked out that he was at home and was lying on his settee with the afghan covering him and by the light streaming through the glass doors, it was late afternoon. His mind was sluggish and he felt disconnected from reality somehow. He blinked again when a face came into view looking down at him with a small smile.

"Senior Sentinel Prime, how are you feeling? Just stay lying down for a moment because you'll probably feel a bit nauseous if you try to get up straight away."

And it all came crashing down on him: the dark sentinel, Megan getting shot, being hit on the head and the loss of his connection with Blair. Blair! He lurched up and everything did a loop-the-loop. He flopped back down again fighting the churning in his stomach in the hope that everything in it would stay down. For a moment his senses flared; the light became too bright, the sounds too acute and the smell of Simon's coffee overwhelming. He almost panicked and then with a deep breath he wrestled them back under control.

"Well, look how good you listen."

Jim carefully turned his head and spotted his immediate boss sitting in the yellow armchair a mug of coffee in his large hand. He took in a few breaths and felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you want to try that again, but a bit slower?"

He looked up again into the face of Peter Langston who was being very careful to keep his expression neutral. "Okay."

Slowly and with no jerky movements he rose up until he was upright and his legs were safely on the floor. For a moment he thought he was going to have to make a dash to the bathroom, but after a few shallow breaths his stomach calmed down.

"This will probably help." A hand came into view holding a glass of orange liquid. "It's ginger ale," said Amanda.

The first few sips went down slowly and then as it appeared it was going to stay down the glass was quickly finished. He nodded his thanks and handed the empty glass back. Almost against his will, his hand went up to the bandage on the back of his head. Sensitive fingers felt the heat from the broken skin, but fortunately it seemed that the wound hadn't needed stitches. He looked over at his captain.

"Any news?" His voice was hard, but inside he was screaming; his guide was gone and if they didn't find him soon he'd be bonded to someone else while he would be… No point thinking about that now.

"How are you feeling? And your bond…?"

If the situation weren't so serious Jim would have laughed at the look on Simon's face. The man worked with sentinels and guides everyday, he was a friend of the Cascade Clan's Senior Sentinel Prime, but he was still uncomfortable with the more esoteric elements of bonding. And, to be honest, he wasn't too happy with it himself. "Fine. News."

"I think what he's trying to ask is can you sense your guide?"

Not wanting to have to examine how he felt too closely he glared at Langston. The other sentinel merely gazed calmly back. Ellison might be Clan leader and a detective in Major Crimes, but at the moment he was a sentinel whose guide had been ripped from his protection. In other words he was an emotional time bomb waiting to explode.

"No." The reply was grudgingly given.

A painful silence followed while everyone thought about what that could mean.

"Well, it could just be the remnants of the Bentinate," Amanda's voice sounded hopeful.

Jim didn't bother replying. "How long was I out?"

"Just under two hours," Peter replied.

"And what's the news?" Ellison was getting desperate.

"Not much."

"What d'you mean 'not much'." He glared over at Banks who merely raised a disapproving eyebrow at his tone.

"All we know is that a dark car was seen speeding out of the alley. Unfortunately, no one can tell us the make or the plate. However, the driver was a dark-haired woman. So, of course, it wasn't Barnes. Unless she was wearing a wig."

"Would you like something for your headache?"

He didn't bother asking how Amanda knew he had one; she was an empath and the way he was squinting was probably a good indication as well. "I'm fine," he almost growled at the female guide despite knowing that all she was doing was trying to help.

"Ellison!" Langston's voice held a warning as he went to put an arm around her. Not even the top dog in the Cascade Clan spoke to another sentinel's guide in that manner. And no sentinel would let it go unpunished, no matter who was talking.

Jim looked up guiltily. He was hurting and worried, but that was no reason to upset someone else's guide. "Guide Michaels, I apologise for my tone. My punishment is in your hands."

Amanda's gasp filled the space. Never before had a senior sentinel said those words to a guide. "No, Sentinel Ellison, I understand your distress. I accept your apology. No punishment is necessary."

"Put him over your knee and spank him," Banks said drily. "It always worked well with Daryl when he was having a tantrum."

"No comments from the peanut gallery, please," Ellison's voice was equally dry. "What are you still doing here?"

"Well, detective, I'm waiting to hear what happened so we can go about finding your guide. Instead, I'm listening to a grown man growl like a bear with a sore head."

Jim blushed slightly and suddenly found the floor very interesting. "Maybe it's because I'm feeling like a bear with a sore head." He took in a deep breath and then looked up at the three people who'd been taking care of him. "I apologise. To you all. Amanda, I'd love something for my head. It is quite sore." He looked over at his captain. "It was Barnes. I was sitting…"CCC CCC CCC CCC

This time was different, he decided, blinking his eyes and staring up at the brown ceiling. He was pretty sure he wasn't in hospital (and hadn't he had enough of that establishment recently?). There were a number of things that led him to reach this conclusion: the walls were dark wood and the window was boarded up, he was fully dressed and lying on a settee and the final clincher was the chain round his left wrist that was attached to something underneath him.

"Thirsty, Pet?"

He jumped and swivelled his head to find Alex staring at him hungrily.

As much as he wanted to refuse to cooperate, the drugs had made him woozy and his mouth felt like it was full of cotton wool. Not trusting his voice he nodded cautiously not wanting to aggravate his head or his unsettled stomach. He tried to lever himself into a sitting position, but his broken wrist and the chain made things awkward for him. He cringed when the woman moved forward and pulled him upright with a brusque movement.

"Sorry," she said, not sounding it in the slightest, "I can't let you have anything. We don't want any messy accidents, do we?"

He frowned as he tried to make sense of her words. However, his brain wasn't firing on all cylinders, yet. "I'll be careful," he said slowly.

She laughed, an unpleasant sound. The next instant he was pushing his body as far as he could into the rather thin cushions, as the dark guide leant over and sniffed at him.

"Don't," he gasped out, "I'm bonded."

She pulled back. "Not for long, Pet."

"What? What d'you mean?"

"Later." She patted his arm and looked towards the door her head tilted to one side. A few seconds later it flew open and the woman who'd been driving the car stalked in intense anger on her face and a streak of what looked like grease on her forehead.

"It's not working!" She threw the tool bag she was carrying onto the rickety table and started pacing in front of the boarded up window. Alex crossed over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down, Iris. I'll come and help."

At first the other woman went to pull away and then she turned and lowered her head onto Alex's shoulder. "If we can't get it to work we won't have any electricity."

"I know, I know, but we'll get it to work together. Okay?" She caught Iris' chin in her fingers and lifted up her face. Bending her head she buried her face into the dark-haired woman's neck and breathed deeply. For a moment, nobody moved.

Blair watched them, fascinated against his will. He couldn't understand what was going on. If this Iris was a guide, why was Barnes so eager to bond with him? His answer came a little while later when Alex pulled away from the other woman frustration on her face.

"Damn, damn, damn!" The blond woman slammed her two hands on the table.

It was now Iris' turn to comfort. "Come on, let's go and get that generator working. Once it's working we can get on with it, okay?"

"But I want to bond with you! Not him." The sentinel was almost in tears.

"I know. I'm sorry, I…"

"No! It's not your fault. You can't help being a minor."

"And it's not yours for being a dark sentinel. So, it's no one's fault. All right?"

Alex blew out a breath and nodded. Turning, she saw Blair staring at them. She stalked over to him all grace and menace and stood so that he had to lean back to keep her face in view.

"What the hell are you looking at?" She growled. Before he could answer she slapped him hard making his eyes tear up. "Listen, Pet, this is not a floor show. Once we've got the generator running we're going to flat line you and break your bond with that great behemoth, the Senior Sentinel Prime of Cascade," she sneered. "Then we'll bond." She slapped him again as his heart sped up and he opened his mouth to protest. "And it won't matter if you're left a gibbering idiot. In fact it would be better if you were. I don't want to bond with you, but I have to. So, I suggest you cooperate or I might be tempted to wait a little while before we revive you. You know, induce a bit of brain damage?" She didn't wait for an answer, but swept out of the door with Iris in tow.

For a few seconds Blair simply sat there trying to absorb what she'd said. Slowly, the meaning of her words seeped into his mind. Oh, God, they were going to kill him. She was going to kill him - again. He could feel the panic start to rise up from the pit of his stomach. No, no, no! He started to tug at the chain. "Jim!" He called out in his mind not realising he'd also verbalised the plea. "Jim, please." He tried reaching out through their bond. Unfortunately, the drug he'd been injected with was still blocking him and he flailed about in the emptiness where the bond should have been. He fell into complete panic then and like an animal caught in a trap he pulled and pulled at the chain around his wrist not noticing his flesh tearing and the blood starting to drip onto the floor.

Chapter 14

Blair didn't notice the single light bulb start flickering to life. When it finally lit up the gloomy room however, he stopped his struggling and looked up. "OhGodOhGod OhGod," he murmured and he felt as if his heart was going to explode from his chest. Before he could start again on the chain the door opened and the two women walked back in.

"See, I told you we'd get it…" Alex's head whipped round her nostrils flaring. She marched over to the settee and slapped Blair hard across the face.

'Oh oh, Loony Tunes 1 and Loony Tunes 2 are back,' he said to himself as blood dripped from his split lip onto his chin.

"What have you done, pet? You stupid man." She lifted his left wrist and traced a finger over the torn flesh. Mesmerised, Blair watched as she put the finger into her mouth and sucked his blood. "Iris, bring the vodka. Now, pet, I'm going to take off the chain, but don't think you can escape. Iris here, will have a gun on you at all times." She sat down next to him pushing him back into the cushions.

The other woman placed a bottle of clear liquid on the floor next to the sentinel's feet. Pulling a handgun from the waistband of her jeans she leant up against the table and fixed her eyes on the male guide. Alex scrabbled around in a pocket and brandished a shiny key. She unlocked the little padlock holding the chain round his wrist and made a tsk sound as she saw the damage he'd done. Bending down she lifted up her trouser leg and slipped out a knife from the sheath strapped to her calf.

She grinned at Blair's involuntary gasp. "Don't worry, pet. This isn't for you."

"Easy for you to say not to worry, but you're not lying here waiting to get your brains fried by two loony tunes. And stop calling me 'pet'. My name's Blair."

Alex's smile slipped and she leant forward holding the blade so the point was resting just below his left eye. "I'll call you whatever I want, PET. You don't need two eyes to be my guide." She pressed the point into his skin and watched a bead of bright red blood well up.

Sandburg licked his lips and swallowed. He tried not to show his fear even though he knew that she could hear his heart pounding and smell the sweat that was running down his back.

"And anyway, I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO HAVE YOU AS MY GUIDE!" The young grad student tried to pull back as the woman suddenly jumped up and started pacing around the room waving her knife around. She lurched back to him and bent over so her face was centimetres from his. "WHY CAN'T I HAVE THE GUIDE I WANT? IT'S NOT FAIR!"

"AND YOU THINK MY LIFE'S FAIR?" Blair couldn't help it, but quite frankly, he'd had enough! He sat up and shouted back into the beautiful face with the cold, mad eyes. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT A FUCK UP MY LIFE'S BECOME AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF SENTINELS. SO DON'T…." He came to an abrupt stop as once again Barnes slapped his face. He was REALLY getting pissed off about that. What was it with this woman and slapping?

"Well, now that we've got that out of our systems let's see about patching you up." Blair gaped up at her as she calmly sat down next to him her heaving chest the only sign that she'd completely lost it a few minutes previously. "Iris, would you pass me the bottle of vodka, please?"

He'd completely forgotten about the other woman and sent a glance in her direction as she hopped down from the table. She looked bored and uninterested in the proceedings, but her gun never wavered from its target. Going over to a bag sitting on the floor near the front door she pulled out a bottle and handed it to the sentinel. Before returning to her post she stopped a moment and looked down at their captive.

"We won't damage him too much when we beak his bond, will we?" She asked Barnes bending down and running the barrel of her gun down his cheek. "I mean he's a pretty thing and could be more useful than just being a guide, if you know what I mean?"

"We'll see," was the simple reply. "Get back to where you were, now."

Blair closed his eyes in despair. It was true he'd been lamenting his lack of a love life, but this certainly wasn't how he wanted to solve the problem. 'Jim, Jim, please. I'm sorry. Please come and save me. I'll be a good little guide. I won't complain and I'll even hang up my wet towels and…' His eyes flew open again as he felt a tug on his arm accompanied by a ripping sound. Alex had cut his shirt sleeve with her knife and was now tearing it off.

"Hold out your arm." She sighed when he hesitated. "I'm taking care of your wrist, that's all." He held it out and seconds later he screamed as she grabbed his forearm and poured vodka over the torn skin. "Oh, don't be a baby." She roughly bandaged it with his torn sleeve and then re-attached the chain. She stood and stretched. "I'm famished. What have we got to eat?"

"Aren't we going to kill him?" Iris asked in the same tone of voice as someone asking whether they were having beans for supper.

"Not right now. He's still got the dampener running through him and we need him online so I can bond to him. We need to time it properly, though, as we don't want him contacting Ellison before we flat line him." She turned and gave him an evil grin. "An hour and a half to two hours should do it."

CCC CCC CCC CCC

Jim stared bleakly at his computer screen and tried to bring it back into focus. Banks had wanted him to stay at home and rest (as if that was going to happen with his guide out there in the hands of another guide!), but he'd insisted in joining him at the PD. However, with the way his head was pounding a small part of him was thinking that crashing out on his bed would have been the better idea. He winced when the captain walked out of his office and bellowed (raised his voice his inner sarcasm corrected).

"Listen up, everyone. Just got news from the hospital. Connor's out of surgery and doing well. The bullet nicked one of her ribs and a lung, but she should be out of hospital in a week and back on duty in about four."

A small wave of 'yeahs' and 'yays' came from the listening detectives and they went back to finding out what they could about where Barnes might have taken Ellison's guide.

It was a measure of how bad he was feeling when the sentinel jumped as a brown hand holding two white tablets was thrust in front of his eyes. He looked up to see Joel looking down at him a sympathetic smile on his face.

"Go on, it's only aspirin," he said.

He hesitated.

"You've got a really bad headache and you're squinting at the screen. You need to be working at optimum capacity if you want to find Blair quickly."

"Thanks." Jim smiled ruefully at the man and swallowed the tablets with a mouthful of coffee – cold coffee. He grimaced at the taste. The next moment he was on his feet staring at the double doors.

Joel was just about to ask what was the matter when the doors opened and every sentinel and guide that worked in the PD and a few that didn't walked in. They all looked grim and menacing - even those that worked as support staff. Just as Edwards reached Ellison Banks' door flew open and the man came out.

"What's going on?" He questioned looking in amazement at the 30 or so men and women crammed into the bullpen.

Joel merely shrugged equally in the dark.

"Senior Sentinel Prime," Edwards' voice was serious and respectful, "I have gathered the Clan together. We are ready."

"Ellison?" Simon's voice was sharp; he didn't like not knowing what was going on.

Funnily enough it was Edwards that answered, "The Senior Guide Prime has been kidnapped. It is our duty and our purpose to find him."

"But what can you do that we're not doing? We're using every resource available to us."

"Yes, but we're not bound by the same constraints that the law dictates." Jim's voice was grim.

"What d'you mean 'constraints'? You're law enforcers, not vigilantes. What are you going to do?"

"We're sentinels and guides living up to our nature; we protect the tribe no matter who is part of it. There are some laws and some imperatives that take precedent over man made laws." He turned to the group and pulled himself up straight. For a moment Joel and Simon saw another figure before them dressed in tribal clothes, paint on his face and a large crossbow strapped to his back. They blinked and it was Ellison once again.

"My guide has been taken," he addressed the Clan.

To everyone's complete surprise the group started to growl softly.

"He has been ripped from my side by an unscrupulous and criminal sentinel."

The growls got louder.

"He has been taken from our protection and care."

There was now a constant noise interspersed by angry mutterings. The whole bullpen stood mesmerised and the corridor outside was filling up with PD personnel eager to see what was going on.

"The sentinel that took him intends to try and break our bond."

There were a few shouted 'no's, a few moans and the growling increased in volume.

"I cannot allow this to go unpunished. I, and the Clan, have been insulted. We will find the Senior Guide Prime and wreak the ultimate chastisement upon his ravishers. I declare Clan Blood Hunt!"

The roar that filled the room was deafening. As the sentinels and guides started filing out of the room, Banks strode over to his detective. He grabbed his arm. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You going to kill these people or what?"

"It's my right to do so."

"But you're a detective for God's sake! You're supposed to uphold the laws of this country not ignore them."

When Jim finally turned to him his voice gentled and Simon could finally recognise the agony that Blair's kidnapping had caused him shining in his eyes. With alarm he saw Jim place his badge and service gun on his desk. "For this, all I am is Clan leader and a sentinel whose guide has been taken from him. There's nothing you or anyone else can or has the right to stop it."

The police captain opened his mouth to say something, but Ellison had turned away and was striding out of the room followed by Edwards and his guide. Suddenly, the three men stopped and stared intensely at the corner of the bullpen. They then seemed to shake themselves and carefully not looking at each other they were gone.

"What was that about?" Simon asked Taggart. The former bomb squad captain was staring at the same corner shaking his head a bemused expression on his face. "Good lord, Joel, I thought I'd never see the like. Civilised men acting like…"

"Sentinels and guides concerned for one of their own."

"I know, nevertheless…" Banks' sigh was heartfelt. "Brown, Rafe. Keep Ellison in sight and do your best to prevent a blood bath – if you can."

"Thanks, Cap," Brown's voice was sardonic. "And how are we supposed to do that?" He mumbled at his partner as they rushed out of the room.

"Okay," bellowed Banks, "everyone back to work. The show's over." As he turned to go back to his office he glanced at the corner that the three men had stared at. It was empty. Shaking his head he entered his office and shut the door not realising that moments before the corner had been occupied by a large, black panther roaring its approval at the Clan's actions.

Chapter 15

"What have we got?" Ellison climbed into the front passenger seat of Edwards' car and looked at his second who was already sitting behind the wheel. He felt edgy, almost as if ants were running along his veins instead of blood. He tried again to contact Blair through their bond, but again he failed. He clenched his hands in frustration and a nerve in his jaw twitched. A hand landed on his shoulder and a wave of calm swept through him. He covered the hand with one of his own and threw back a grateful smile to David who was sitting behind his sentinel. Squeezing it gently, he placed it on Edwards' shoulder and the other sentinel puffed up in pride at how his guide was helping the Senior Sentinel Prime.

"Edwards, where are we going?" Jim looked around in confusion as he realised they were heading towards City Hall, as something was very gently urging him to go north.

"Everyone's gathering in the Sentinel Suite. We need to…"

"No."

"Sorry?" The Sentinel Prime took advantage of the red light to look at his Clan leader. The other man was staring out of the passenger window his hands curling into fists on his thighs.

"We need to go north."

"Are you feeling Blair?"

"No. Yes. No. I don't know."

All three men jumped when an irate driver behind them blasted them with his car horn. Edwards raised his hand in apology and pulled away from the lights.

"Perhaps it's the panther," David's voice was soft.

"What?" Jim turned to look at the guide.

"Maybe you're feeling something different because it's not Blair you're feeling, but your spirit guide. Do you realise, we all saw it. I mean, I've read about this, but…" Jim looked in amazement as the normally reserved guide launched into a rapid monologue.

"Hold on a moment," the senior sentinel cut in, "what on Earth are you talking about?"

"You saw it, didn't you?" A small amount of hesitation crept into his voice. "The panther. In the bullpen? And it belonged to you – THAT I felt strongly."

"Well… I saw something…"

"I saw it," Edwards spoke, "but we'll have to shelve it for a moment. We've arrived." He drove the car into the underground car park and pulled into a space marked 'Sentinel Suite'.

They got out of the car and were making their way towards the stairs in the corner when Jim stopped and looked behind them.

"Wha…?" Edwards started to ask, but Ellison held up his hand for silence.

A car slowly entered the space and moved through the aisles. Ellison strode forward and cutting through a line of cars stepped out in front of the vehicle making it come to an abrupt stop. The driver's window rolled down.

"Damn it, Ellison! Give someone a heart attack, why don't you?"

"Looking for someone, H?" Jim bent to look into the window. "Hello, Rafe."

"Jim…"

"Banks sent you?"

"Uh huh."

"To stop me?"

"No, babe. Rafe?" H turned to the man in the passenger seat who handed him a paper bag, which was then passed onto the sentinel.

Jim's eyes widened when he opened it and saw his badge and service revolver. "You swipe them?"

"No. Banks gave them to us."

"Why?"

"Listen, man. The cap, us all, we all understand the pressure you're under and how split you are between being a cop and a sentinel. We want to help you find Hairboy," Ellison's eyebrows raised at the nickname. "Hey, it's appropriate, no? Anyway, we're not here to try and control you and the Clan, but we're here more…"

"..for damage control - if needed," Rafe added when his partner seemed unable to find the right expression. "We're not going to stop you and if the situation calls for it, we'll help you bury the body. However, if there's a way that this can be resolved within the dictates of the law, well, we'll do that as well."

For a moment, Jim said nothing while he looked at the two detectives as if he was trying to see into their souls.

"Okay," he said finally. "You can park over there." He indicated the spaces for the Sentinel Suite.

The two sentinels and guides waited for the two men to get out of the car. Edwards had simply raised his eyebrows when Ellison had joined them. He'd got a slight shrug and a rueful grin in reply. Eventually, all five of them got into the lift and Edwards pressed the button for the fifth floor after having tapped out a code onto a pad next to the call buttons.

"Okay, before we get up there, there are certain things you have to agree to." As Jim spoke to the two detectives they realised it wasn't their colleague before them, but the Senior Sentinel Prime of the Cascade Clan. Almost unconsciously, they stood up straighter. "There are things that you'll see here that we'll ask you to keep to yourselves. There are places you cannot go and some meetings that you will not take part in. If you're not okay with that, you can leave."

H and Rafe didn't even bother to look at each other.

"Jim, we're not here to do an exposé of Clan secrets," Rafe said. "Just let us know what's going on and we'll go with the flow."

Ellison nodded and gave them a small smile just as the lift pinged and the doors opened. Lisa and her guide, Karl, were waiting for them and opened their eyes in surprise at the presence of the two detectives. It was extremely rare to see non-sentinels and guides in the suite. Brown and Rafe, in their turn, were surprised to see their reaction. From what they knew about sentinels, they should have been able to detect their presence.

Jim, seeing the expression on their faces, bent to murmur something in their ears, "This place is riddled with white noise generators including the elevator. Can you imagine what it would be like otherwise? 50 sentinels listening in to you going to the toilet." He smiled as the two men shuddered and then raised his voice. "Lisa, Karl, would you mind giving H and Rafe here a tour of the common areas?" He turned back to the two men. "I need to speak to some people about something totally sentinel. It shouldn't be long and then you can join in the planning discussion. Okay?"

Five minutes later found Ellison, Edwards, David, Langston, Michaels and the Clan archivist and her guide sitting around a table in the suite's conference room. Someone had provided coffee and Jim sipped at his brew appreciatively. With so many sentinels coming and going here everyday it was understandable that the coffee had to be good. It was certainly better than the brew they served at the PD.

"Thank you for coming, Dr Fontana," said Edwards.

"No, no problem. In fact thank YOU for informing me of this." The middle-aged woman had an eager, but pleasant smile. Her guide was pulling out books and files from a large documents bag and placing them on the table in front of her. "Now, you said to me over the telephone that you, your guide and the Senior Sentinel Prime saw a black panther in a place where one would not normally be seen."

"I've often referred to the bullpen as a zoo, but even so, a panther's not something I would have expected to see there," Jim remarked drily. "Look," he turned towards Edwards, "do we really have time for this?"

It was the doctor who answered, "Understanding your spirit animal and why you're suddenly seeing it could more than likely help you in finding your guide.

"It could lead me to Sandburg?"

"Maybe, which is why we need to talk now." At his tense nod, the doctor continued, "Now, I need to ask some questions before I can tell you what I think. Is this the first time you've seen it?"

"Yes," but in his mind he hesitated. Something was there… 'No, just concentrate on what you're doing,' he said to himself. 'The sooner we're out of here, the sooner I can find my guide.'

"How did you feel when you saw it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did it feel familiar? Were you afraid? Was it trying to say anything to you?"

Ellison almost squirmed in embarrassment. He hated anything that smacked of spiritualism or esoteric mumbo jumbo. "It was just there," he eventually said. "And it wasn't talking."

"And you two saw it as well?"

Edwards and David both nodded in reply. "I felt it belonged to Sentinel Ellison," the empath added.

"Really?" Fontana looked at him with interest. "And you? Did you feel that?" She turned to Jim.

"I don't know."

"Okay," she seemed a bit taken aback by his obvious negativity, but it didn't discourage her. She made some notes in an exercise book and then turned towards Langston and Michaels. "You two have been bonded the longest. Have you ever seen a spirit animal?"

"Never," answered Langston.

"Has anyone ever heard of anyone seeing one? From another Clan even?"

They all shook their heads.

"Fascinating," she breathed. "Carla, Sandburg's Masters thesis." She took the bound document that was handed to her and opened it where a blue place marker had been stuck. "Now, Guide Sandburg in his…"

"Who?" Ellison's voice cut through hers like a knife.

"What?" She looked up at the interruption.

"You said Sandburg. Blair Sandburg my guide? What's he got to do with this?"

"Oh, didn't you know?" She asked in surprise.

"Know what?" Jim was holding on to his temper with fading strength. As far as he was concerned all this was simply wasting time. The need to be out on the streets was eating away at him.

"The Senior Guide Prime's university studies have been on spirit animals in history and discovering why they've not been seen since modern sentinels. He's quite brilliant really. It's a shame he's not been able to continue his studies. What other insights into spirit animals would he have found? Mind you, it doesn’t surprise me that Edwards wants to get rid of him."

Ellison lowered his head, eyes closed. He felt deep shame at how he'd been taking his guide for granted by not asking him what he wanted to do with his life and ignoring his needs.

"Why? What did she do?"

He opened his eyes and looked up at Edwards' question.

"He reported someone for cheating, but as this student's father was a big contributor to the university, Chancellor Edwards told him to ignore it. Sandburg wasn't happy and continued to make waves, so he was sacked. Well, it turned out Ventriss was a rapist as well as a cheat and is now in prison. Edwards was forced to reinstate Sandburg. Then it was discovered that Ventriss had also stolen Sandburg's thesis before it was finished and had sent it to a publishers. But at first no one had realised that it'd been stolen. In it, Sandburg had cited confidential documents that the university didn't want revealed to the general public. Big brouhaha.

"Sandburg was sacked again. Edwards made a lot of public announcements regarding Sandburg's dishonesty, underhandedness Etc. Etc. When it was revealed that he was completely innocent and that his thesis committee had given him permission to use these particular documents she again had to eat cold crow and ask him back to complete his doctorate. So of course, with his absences from the university while he was working at the Centre and the fact his office was trashed – and you can't tell me that he was responsible for that! – she jumped on the chance to not only sack him from his TA job, but also out of the Ph.D. programme. What a waste."

"Blair will be completing his Ph.D. and I personally, will be dealing with Chancellor Edwards. Got it?" Ellison had listened to Fontana's disapproval while she told the story and knew that it was directed at him. However, his anger was directed at the woman who'd been making his guide's life a misery. He'd get his guide back and then Chancellor Edwards would be feeling the full might of the Clan.

"Uh, yes, Senior Sentinel Prime. Good. Excellent."

"Can we get back to spirit animals, please?"

"Yes, of course." Fontana turned back to the document. "Well, as I was saying, Sandburg states that spirit animals were rarely seen except by Pairs who'd taken part in a bonding ceremony in a sentinel/guide temple. It was believed that there were numerous temples around the world, but the only one known to us now is in Mexico."

"But we've never been to Mexico," said Ellison. "So…?"

"He also thinks that sentinels and guides that were commonly called 'dark' were able to reach this level without the ceremony. Of course, that's only speculation as there hasn't been a dark guide for… Oh." She stopped and slowly raised her eyes to Ellison. He merely looked back, a neutral expression on his face.

"Right, well, okay," she looked down at the document in her hands and took in a deep breath. "He, he also believes that the sentinels and guides could communicate with their animal guides and thus communicate with each other over great distances."

She looked up as she heard the small gasp that came from Edwards' guide and saw the Senior Sentinel Prime's face tighten in anticipation. His blue eyes blazed as he leant towards her.

"Does this mean I can communicate with my guide even though he's not here?"

"I… I… Well, perhaps. Has he seen his spirit animal? Do you know what it is?"

Jim's heart was pounding so hard in his chest he felt that it was going to explode. "No," he whispered, "I don't know. God, I don't know what it is."

Chapter 16

"Can you feel anything yet?"

Iris looked up at the female sentinel from where she was lounging against a wall sipping at a beer. She cocked her head in a way very reminiscent of a sentinel concentrating on listening. Blair fought to keep his heart from pounding and the fear he was feeling to swamp his mind. He could also feel the first tendrils of the link with his sentinel beginning to form. He was hoping against hope that the minor guide couldn't feel it also.

"Umm. There's something, but… It's weak." She looked over at the other guide and licked her lips. "He can feel it, too. That's why I can taste his fear." She laughed as he turned his head away from her look. "We might as well get him ready."

Alex sashayed over to the settee where Blair was still chained. He'd often read the word in books and had always wondered what sashaying looked like. Well, now he'd seen it and…. 'Oh, God,' he thought, 'distracting yourself isn't going to work now, Sandburg. Time to get yourself out of here.'

"Well, Pet, time to get busy."

She had her big knife in her hand and he eyed it nervously. She'd said she wasn't going to hurt him, however he also knew that with her sometimes all the lights were on, but no one was in. She leant forward, grabbed the front of his shirt and the t-shirt underneath and cut them open from navel to sternum. Pulling the two halves apart she gazed down at his chest.

"My, my. Hairy little thing, aren't you?" While she'd been cutting, Iris had come up to the settee with a rope in her hands.

"Not too bad," she said also copping a look. "Gives me something to hold on to. We'll have to shave a bit so we can get skin contact. Sit up straight and hold out your right arm."

Blair locked onto the words 'skin contact' and could feel panic to well up in him again. It was really going to happen. He was going to die – again. By the same person, no less. He felt a hand in his hair painfully tugging his head upward.

"What?"

She leant in so her face was centimetres from his. "There are two ways of doing this. You cooperate and you come out of this okay. You don't cooperate and, well… You don't need all your fingers to guide, do you? Okay?"

He nodded and pulled himself so he was seated upright his feet flat on the floor. Gingerly, he held his casted right arm out. He looked around to see Alex staring at him hungrily while running the flat of the blade across her cheek. He felt a tug on his right arm and saw that Iris was tying it to the settee armrest. She moved round to his left and grabbed the chain. She held out her hand and the other woman placed the padlock key into it. Quickly, she unlocked Blair's left wrist and twisted the rope around it. He gasped against the pain as she pulled it tight so that his arms were now spread-eagled across the back of the settee.

"Let me explain how we're going to do this," Barnes said as if she was explaining how to bake a cake. "The easiest way of stopping your heart is to pass an electric current through your body. We need to make sure the current goes through your heart so we're going to tape the wires here," she touched the left side of his chest, "and to your right hand. That's why we removed the chain."

Iris had moved away and now came back with a disposable razor in her hand. She started to dry shave his chest.

"Please…" His mouth was so dry it was almost impossible to get the word out.

Alex continued as if he hadn't spoken, "Once your heart has stopped beating, Iris will breathe for you using an ambu-bag. We'll wait a few minutes to make sure that the bond is definitely broken then we'll give you a shot of atropine to get your heart going again. Simple, see?"

Blair most certainly did not see. He closed his eyes and his right knee started bouncing up and down. 'Jim. Sentinel, don't abandon your guide!' He screamed out in his mind. Suddenly he stopped moving. Something was happening to his body; he was growing hot and a sharp pain was stabbing his head. His eyes flew open. He knew this feeling; he'd felt it before. This had happened in Jim's loft when the sentinel had bonded with him.

"He's doing something!" Iris' shrill voice broke into his thoughts. "Stop it!" She leant towards him shouting into his face. "I said stop it." He smiled at her the smile not reaching his eyes. "Alex, can't you feel it?"

"What?" Alex moved over so she was standing next to the other woman. She started rubbing her arms as if ants were crawling up them. Iris put her hands to either side of her head and staggered back from the settee. Alex winced in sympathy as her head also started to throb. "Iris, what's up?"

Blair didn't bother answering, but merely closed his eyes and concentrated on controlling the thing that was flowing out of his body. He didn't even open his eyes when his face was slapped once more. Oh, she would pay for that. He was so fed up of getting slapped.

"Alex, help me!" Iris' voice was turning into a gurgling scream.

The dark sentinel lurched over to her and tried to catch her as she crumpled to the floor and started shaking. They landed in a tangle of limbs Alex on top. Iris was now panting hard and started hitting her head with her balled up fists.

Alex grabbed her hands. "No, no. Don't, you'll hurt yourself." But she was beginning to find it hard to block out the growing pain in her own head.

The other woman was now lying on her side her arms wrapped around her body rocking to and fro and moaning piteously. Suddenly, she jerked and her nose started to bleed. She then went limp. For a moment, Alex thought she was dead and then she saw her chest move. She tried to get up, but it felt as if the inside of her head was boiling. She screamed and everything went black.

Blair painfully opened his eyes a slit. The two women were lying in a heap on the floor obviously unconscious. His head was agony and his body was on fire. He couldn't take the pain any more; it was killing him! Biting down on his lip he used the pain to try and take control of his body. He felt something give way in his head and then he knew no more.

CCC CCC CCC CCC

"Blair!" Jim's scream made everyone jump.

The Clan members had finished their meeting with Dr Fontana, collected the two Cascade detectives and had gathered together in the conference room with various other Pairs. Edwards had started organising assignments in the search for the kidnapped Senior Guide Prime. Rafe and Brown were liaising with Major Crimes and Jim… Jim was sitting at the head of the table taking no part in the proceedings. People would cast wondering glances at him, but he was ignoring them all.

David lifted a questioning eyebrow at his sentinel wondering whether the Senior Sentinel Prime was zoning. He and Michaels had managed to link lightly with him so at least he had control over his senses. They hadn't replaced Sandburg and it hadn't been a true bond, but it had been enough to help him for a while. Edwards shook his head; Ellison wasn't exactly zoning, but he wasn't exactly all there either. Which is why when the Clan leader shouted it took everyone by surprise.

"What is it?" The Clan second in command demanded. "Can you feel Blair?"

Rafe and Brown were even more taken aback when all the sentinels and guides visibly shivered and Jim leapt to his feet shouting at the table.

"Where is he? Take me to him, please. He's suffering."

"What are you seeing?" Langston also rose.

"He's seeing his spirit animal." Edwards stood up and turned to Jim. "What's he doing?"

"Don't just sit there and roar, show me where he is."

"What the hell's going on?" Brown had reached his limit and was desperately trying to make sense of the situation.

"Wha…? Is the wolf Sandburg's?" Jim was almost pleading now.

"Jim," Amanda's voice, although soft, was infused with whatever forced sentinels listen to their guides, "tell us what you're seeing."

Brown was just about to demand once more for an explanation when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Just wait a moment," Langston whispered in his ear. "I'll explain in a minute."

"Jim?" A note of steel entered the female guide's voice.

The man under everyone's scrutiny plopped back in his chair and scraped his hands down his face. He looked up again and everyone could see a faint light of hope in his eyes. "The black panther appeared on the table and just sat there roaring. We have to go."

"As soon as you've told us what you saw. It could be relevant."

Ellison glared at Edwards and then looked back at Michaels. "There was then a large grey wolf and it seemed to jump into the panther… Oh, God, I remember. When I revived Sandburg after that bitch killed him the same thing happened. The wolf must be my guide's spirit animal."

"No!" Jim's voice was firm and commanding. "Enough talking. My guide's in trouble and we need to find him. He's somewhere north." He started for the door.

"But…"

"How can…?"

"We need to…"

"Enough! Your Clan leader has spoken," Ellison's voice trampled over the objections and everyone fell silent. He'd been listening to Edwards, Fontana, Michaels and had been led about like a child while he'd been reeling from his guide being ripped from him. He was Cascade's Senior Sentinel Prime and Clan leader – it was time he acted like it. "We're leaving. If anyone disagrees we shall meet in the gym."

A hush fell over the room and all the sentinels carefully avoided looking at anyone while their guides edged closer to them.

"What does that mean?" Rafe murmured to Peter.

"It means that if anyone challenges Ellison on this they'll also have to challenge him for the position of Senior Sentinel Prime and Clan leader," Langston's voice was barely a whisper.

After a moment of silence, said Clan leader swept out of the room followed by the Pairs until only the Langston/Michaels Pair and H and Rafe were left.

"In the gym? What do they do? See who can do the most press ups?" Brown's tone was dubious as they stood up to follow in their wake.

Langston looked at him steadily without any trace of a smile on his face. "No. They fight and if one of them doesn't yield, it's to the death." With that he put his arm round his guide and they left the room.

The two detectives looked at each other.

"He was joking…"

"Nah, it can't be true…"

They spoke at the same time, stopped and then hearing the silence realised they were alone.

"Shit," said H and with that they raced after the Clan.

Chapter 17

People in Cascade looked on in amazement as a cavalcade of cars raced through the city streets. The first and last cars had lights and sirens blazing while the four in between had hazards flashing and the drivers were leaning on their horns. Fortunately, for pedestrians and drivers alike, although they didn't know it, the lead cars were being driven by sentinels with their sight dialled up to the maximum.

"You okay there?" Rafe's voice was tight as H narrowly missed a lamppost that was obviously risking its life by being on the corner of the street they were turning into. The dapper detective sat in the passenger seat seemingly unperturbed unless you noticed his white-knuckle grip on the dashboard.

"Got it under control, babe," Brown's voice was equally stressed despite the calm words and he didn't take his eyes off the road.

"Do you know where we're going?"

"North? Huh, I'm just following the rest."

Silence reigned for a moment.

"What do you think about this animal spirit thingy?" Rafe mused.

"Gawd knows. I'm still working out the sentinel/guide bond thingy."

"I must admit, I've never seen Ellison like that before."

"You've only known him a while. You should have seen him when he was in Vice… Shit!"

They rounded a bend and Brown jerked the steering wheel to avoid slamming into the car in front of them. The others had slowed right down and were now entering a car park leading to one of Cascade's many parks. The two detectives waited before turning in and parking next to the others. Getting out they joined the Pairs who were converging on Edwards' car. Spotting Langston and Michaels they eased over until they were standing next to the sentinel and guide.

"What's going on?" Brown asked them.

"Shhh," was Langston's reply.

Michaels leant over and spoke softly to them, "Ellison's lost the connection…" Brown had an insane desire to laugh and nearly asked whether the Clan leader should change his mobile phone network. "… no point moving if we don't know where we're going."

"Okay," Brown nodded at him and turned to the female guide. "How about getting something to eat? I mean if we're gonna be here a while."

It was Langston that answered, "Not a bad idea." He looked around and then up. "However, we need to get inside somewhere. It's going to rain."

The detective looked up at the clear sky and then back down at the sentinel an eyebrow raised in question.

"Trust me." Was all he got in reply.

CCC CCC CCC CCC

The sound of rain on the roof dragged him out of the black hole that was his mind. He licked his lips desperately trying to get his dry mouth working. Opening his eyes, Blair blinked trying to get them to focus. 'This waking up in strange places and not knowing immediately where I am is getting really old, really fast,' he said to himself. He tried to turn and his memory came crashing back as his tied arms prevented himself from doing so. Oh, oh…

He brought his head up and immediately spotted the two women lying on the floor. Iris was on her back, eyes open and blood under her nose. Alex was huddled next to her and he couldn't see her face. The smell of sweat and urine filled the small room. "Oh, God," he said out loud. "I've killed them, I've killed them." His right leg started bouncing up and down in agitation. A small noise made him still and he held his breath. Iris sighed and her left arm jerked hitting the sentinel who, in turn, moaned.

They were alive, but obviously out of it – for the moment at least. Probably the best thing to do now would be to get the hell out of Dodge before they regained their senses – ha ha – if they ever did. The young guide gave an experimental tug on the ropes; they weren't budging. He tried bouncing up and down on the settee to see whether he could move it or dislodge the ropes. After a few minutes he had to give up as he was getting nowhere except for producing sweat that ran down his back and an awakening of the pain in his torn wrist.

He glanced at the window trying to gauge how long he'd been out, but it was difficult to see past the boards. Suddenly the single bulb alight began to flicker and then died. The cottage was plunged into darkness. Either the generator had broken down again or he'd been out long enough for it to have run out of petrol. With a sigh, he laid his head back against the cushions. His life officially sucked. Something tickled the back of his mind and with a start he realised he could feel his connection to Ellison. It was faint and vague, but undeniably there.

"Jim!" He called out both out loud and in his mind. "Sentinel Ellison, please. Come and get me out of here." He wasn't so far gone in his despair that he failed to miss the irony of calling out to a person that, before he'd been kidnapped, he'd quite happily never see again.

He stilled when he heard something rustling in the corner of the room behind him. At first he glanced over to the two women to see if they'd moved. To his relief they were still where he'd last seen them if the dark lumps he could make out in the gloom were in fact them. He strained his head round to try and see if he could see what was making the noise. Crashing thunder made him wince and a gust of wind made the roof creak alarmingly. Fearfully, he looked up hoping that it would hold. The last thing he needed was to be buried under collapsed timbers.

The noise in the corner caught his attention again and he craned his neck once more. His heart hammered painfully in his chest when a large black panther followed by a wolf padded out of the shadows. He opened his mouth to scream, but closed it again when logic and something in the back of his mind stopped him. What were the chances that a real panther and wolf were standing in a run down cottage in north Washington State? And something… there was something telling him that he'd seen them before.

"Uh, hello, kitty?" He was pleased to note that his voice quavered only a small amount. "Um, what you doing here, guys?" He gulped as they rounded the settee and the panther rose up to put his very large paws gently on his chest. For an imaginary animal it seemed to be remarkably heavy. Blair held his breath as blue eyes stared into blue. Then, the jungle predator gave a loud sniff, his nostrils flaring, and eased himself down. He was about breathe out in relief when the wolf did exactly the same thing only just before descending it gave a very wet lick to Blair's cheek.

"Ugh, thanks," he said sardonically trying to wipe it on his shoulder. He then watched fascinated as the panther walked over to the two women lying on the floor. As it sniffed Alex she moaned and it growled in response. Dismissing the two women it turned and stood nose to nose with the wolf. They stood there not moving for a few seconds until the wolf gave a small yip. The panther then bounded away and vanished through the door. Blair blinked; it hadn't passed through the doorframe, but through the door itself. He turned to look back at the wolf, which seemed to be grinning at him with a knowing smirk on its face.

"Are you going to disappear as well?" He grunted as the large canine jumped up onto the settee and after turning a few times settled down so that it was leaning against his side. "Um, don't suppose you could chew through theses ropes for me, do you?"

Blue eyes blinked at him and then closed as the wolf laid its head on its paws.

"Thanks for nothing." The guide grinned at himself. "Well, I seem to be taking this very calmly. Or is it because I've finally flipped and I'm now in ga ga land?" He moved a bit so he was pressed more firmly against the animal appreciating the warmth it was giving out. "Now, where have I seen these animals before?" He closed his eyes in an effort to go back through his memory.

The wolf cracked open an eye as the human's breathing smoothed out and its head lolled on to its chest.

CCC CCC CCC CCC

"We're off!"

Brown nearly choked on his sandwich when the passenger door of his car opened and his wet partner slipped in. Someone had gone to get a selection of sandwiches and some drinks from a local shop while Ellison had paced back and forth across the car park. Even from a distance, the two detectives could see he was seething in frustration. When it had started raining (and wasn't it annoying that langston had been correct?) Edwards had tried to get the man back into the car, but had been resolutely ignored. He'd not even stopped for food.

They'd discussed for a moment to see if there was anything they could do to help, but had come to the conclusion that the Clan seemed to have everything under control. 'Yeah,' Brown thought to himself, 'complete control. Which is why we're sitting here in a car park waiting for an imaginary panther to show itself again.' Well, now it seemed that was exactly what had happened and they were back to following the cars again.

Rafe wiped his face with his handkerchief and shivered. He peered past the windscreen wipers that were doing a valiant job of trying to keep the windscreen clear of the torrential rain that was now falling.

"What happened?" Brown asked.

"Jim just suddenly stiffened, turned to face north and then Langston jumped out of his car and shouted 'I can see it, too.' They then jumped back into their cars and started off."

"Oh."

And to be perfectly honest, there wasn't really an awful lot more that could be said. After about another half hour of driving they turned off onto a track that led off into the trees that lined the road. Another ten minutes of bumping around brought them to a clearing where the other cars had stopped. They got out of the car and made their way in the rain to where the Clan had gathered under some trees. With a sigh, Rafe looked down at his all leather shoes knowing that they were going to get ruined. And why, oh why, had he put on his light blue silk shirt today?

A loud crash of thunder made everyone jump and a number of sentinels visibly winced. Ellison had been looking up the hill as if he could see through the trees. He now turned and Brown realised that the light had diminished with the storm and the approaching evening and that soon it was going to be difficult for the non-sentinels to travel on foot unless they had some pocket torches.

"Okay, he's not too far ahead," Jim spoke softly, but clearly. "Can anyone hear anything?" He looked at the sentinels who all shook their heads. "Neither can I. Does anyone know this area?" Again shakes of heads.

"Oh, hold on a minute," a young uniformed officer spoke up.

Ellison looked over at him enquiringly.

"Ah, Sentinel Parks, sir. And this is my guide, Joseph Brinks." He indicated another uniformed officer standing next to him who, if anything, looked even younger.

"Go on."

"Yes, well. I don't know the area, but Joe and I do a lot of hiking. We've got some walkers' maps in the car and I'm pretty sure one of them covers here." At the Clan leader's nod he rushed down to his vehicle and was back within a minute clutching a plastic bag. He pulled out a folded map and started to unfold out onto the bonnet of the nearest car. Ellison's smile was small, but heartfelt.

"Uh, won't the map get wet?" Lisa asked.

"It's not a problem," Brinks answered. "It's coated in plastic."

Ellison, Edwards, David and the two detectives huddled round the young sentinel with everyone else trying to look over their shoulders. Parks pointed to a spot marked Blue Falls area. "We're here."

"Yes!" Jim's voice was exultant as his finger landed on the paper where the outline of a building was drawn. Everyone could read the legend 'Forestry Commission' written underneath. "He's here. How far is that?"

"Um," Parks peered closely, "2,350 yards."

"Right. Edwards, the white noise generators." The Sentinel Prime, followed by his guide, moved way. "You and Brinks stay here. Don't let anything or anyone past you. Okay?" The young Pair nodded. He looked round at his fellow Clan members and then spotted Rafe and Brown watching him.

"It's okay, Jim," said the taller detective, "we're all out of our jurisdiction here."

"Thanks, but you need to stay back… No, wait." He held up a hand when they went to protest. "It's getting dark and soon you'll need flashlights to see where you're going. We're going after a sentinel. We're doing what we can to mask our presence with white noise generators, but she'll be able to see light. We don't need anything."

"No, but they'll be with their sentinels who'll make sure they'll be all right. I'm not asking you to sit this one out, but just to stay back a bit until we say it's okay."

The two detectives looked at each other and then nodded at him.

"Thanks. Right this is what we're going to do…"

Chapter 18

For once, Jim was really grateful that he had his sentinel abilities because by the time they'd reached the cottage the sky was almost black and the rain hadn't let up at all. Everyone was soaking wet and the guides were grumbling that it wasn't fair that the sentinels could dial down their sense of touch and not feel the cold. It had been eerie moving up the track knowing that his Clan members were with him, but not be able to hear them as each pair was carrying a mobile white noise generator. Concentrating on the strengthening pull towards his guide he was unaware of the appraising looks sent his way by the other sentinels. The way he moved so confidently through the dark and rain showed them how well he was controlling his senses and how strong they were even without his guide at his side.

The bedraggled group stopped once the cottage came into view and then having discussed before what everyone was to do the building was surrounded within minutes. Jim sent out his hearing to try and work out whether he could sense who was there. For a moment all he could hear were the sounds of the pounding rain and wind though the trees then a loud thumping filled his ears: Blair's heartbeat! He latched on to it like a drowning man latches on to a life boat. It became louder and louder until it was all he could hear, all he could concentrate on, all he…

"… come back to me, Jim. Listen to my voice…"

He jerked at the hand clasped around his face and the softly whispered words close to his ear. Turning he saw Amanda kneeling next to him with her sentinel protecting her back and holding an umbrella over them. He suspected that the umbrella was for the female guide and he was just benefitting from the fact that she was so close to him. Not that it was really doing any good with the wind now sending the rain almost horizontal.

"Good, you're back. Are you all right?" Her voice was soft, but he had no problem hearing it.

He nodded mortified that he had lost it at such an important moment. A sudden burst of thunder made everyone flinch and one of the younger sentinels a few metres away bent over his hands covering his ears. His guide immediately put his hand on his back and started murmuring into his ear.

"Don't worry," she continued. "You're doing really good considering the stress you're under that you're without Blair."

"He okay?" Edwards' voice sounded from somewhere behind him. The female guide nodded at the Clan second. "Right. Ellison, can you hear anything?" It appeared that the Senior Sentinel prime was the only one of the gathered sentinels that could punch through the white noise created by the generators and hear beyond them.

"Yeah." He allowed himself a little smile; his guide was alive and only a few metres away. And more importantly it appeared that their bond hadn't been broken. "I can hear three heartbeats and one of them is Sandburg's. No one seems to be moving, though, which seems a bit strange. I wonder if they're sleeping?"

Edwards frowned. "I would have thought that they'd be more concerned about breaking your bond than sleeping."

Ellison almost flinched at the seemingly cold statement and sent his hearing out again. There was no talking or rustling of clothing. All that could be heard was quiet breathing and three slow, rhythmic heartbeats – beating slowly, filling his ears…

"Shit, he's going again. Senior Sentinel…"

The sound of a roaring panther was answered by the mournful howl of a wolf and brought him back to Earth. He opened eyes that he didn't remember closing. "I'm back. I'm back." God, he'd be happy once he had his guide safely by his side again. He wiped his hands down his face trying to get the rain out of his eyes. The jacket and Jags cap he was wearing was about as useful as toilet paper in the sea.

Jim nodded and stood up holding his back up revolver in his hand. "Let's go."

Those who had guns, pulled them out and quietly moved closer to the cottage: sentinels in front with their guides tucked in safely behind them. It was showdown time.

Meanwhile, experiencing the same delightful weather conditions Rafe and Brown were struggling with the mud. They had one torch between them, which hardly penetrated the steady stream of drops. Rafe's city shoes gave him no grip in the mud and for what felt at least the 100th time he grabbed onto Brown. Unfortunately, Henri wasn't in a much better state and the pair of them went down in a tangle of arms and legs.

"Sorry, sorry," mumbled Rafe as he tried to extricate himself. Even though he was wearing a cascade PD issue rain slicker he knew damn well his suit was ruined – along with his shoes. With much wriggling and swearing, he managed to get himself upright only to lose his footing once more. This time however, the landing was softer as he fell on his fellow detective.

Brown's breath came out with an 'oomph'.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry," Rafe said as he lay across his partner's broad stomach. He looked up alarmed as H started shaking. "Hey, what's up? You all right? Did I hurt you?"

The shaking increased.

"H, tell…" He stopped as he realised that what he was hearing wasn't tears, but laughter.

"I'm sorry – ha, ha, - babe. I can't – ha, ha, - help it," Brown managed to gasp out between laughs. The laughing eventually subsided and the two men sat up. Rafe eased off his human cushion until he was sitting despondently in the mud. The taller detective leant over to grab the torch that fortunately was still shining despite the fall. He shone it over themselves and broke out into giggles again.

"What?" Rafe's tone indicated that he wasn't finding the humour in their situation.

"Sorry," H repeated, "but just look at us. Two city detectives, one in a designer suit and the other in a Hawaiian print shirt rolling around in the mud like a couple of kids mud wrestling."

Rafe looked down at himself and then over at Brown. He burst into laughter more at his friend's giggling than the situation. However, it turned into full hilarity when Brown, trying to get up again, slipped so he was nose down on the track. What he wouldn't do for a camera now.

CCC CCC CCC CCC

"Urgh, get off me." Blair whipped his head to one side as a wet, rough tongue rasped up a stubble-covered cheek. The wolf huffed in what seemed to be amusement. "You're trying to tell me something, aren't you?" He examined the blue eyes looking at him with almost human intelligence. "You're trying to tell me that Ellison's my true sentinel, aren't you? That I should accept the bond," he said with a sigh. The wolf seemed to grin for a moment then gave him another lick and jumped down from the settee.

"Uh? Where you going?" He asked as the wolf disappeared through the door. He jumped as a peal of thunder rattled the ramshackle building. Fearfully, he looked over at the two women and with alarm noticed that only the dark-haired guide was lying on the floor. "Oh, God," he moaned. His eyes darted around the room trying to see where the sentinel was in the gloom and then jumped when she staggered across his view and fell to her knees next to the supine female guide.

"Iris. Wake up." She pulled at the other woman's shoulder and then lightly patted her cheek. "Come on, wake up." She slapped harder and Blair almost snorted at seeing her continue to employ her 'getting attention' technique on someone else. However, it appeared her tactic wasn't working; Iris simply lay there staring up at the ceiling a vacant look on her face. Almost tenderly, Alex wiped at the blood under the other woman's nose. "Please, Iris, please."

For a few painful moments she stayed hunched over and then slowly, ever so slowly, she stood up and turned towards the settee. Blair's breath hitched as even in the darkened room he could see the gleam of madness in the woman's eyes.

"What did you do?" He voice was quiet and raw.

He licked his dry lips. "I… I…"

"What. Did. You. Do?"

She stalked over and leant over him. He shrank back as far as the ropes would allow. Was she going to slap him – again? She pulled out her knife. Okay, he decided, slapping was good. He could cope with slapping if she would only put that knife away. He gulped as she laid the blade along his left jugular.

"You took them. You took away my senses. They're gone. All gone."

She whirled away and again knelt next to Iris. He sighed in relief, but was sure his relief was going to be short lived.

Tentatively, he sent out his empathy and was amazed when he couldn't feel her at all. He jumped when she screamed and slammed the knife into the floor. Was she really not a sentinel anymore or was he still blocked by the dampener? No, he preferred to believe her. He had to try and connect to his sentinel.

She lifted her hands to her head and gripped her hair pulling hard until her eyes teared.

He let his lids fall shut and concentrated on his bond with Jim, the man he didn't want to be bonded with, but so needed to come and save him.

She rose up shakily and gripped her knife in a trembling hand; all reason had fled her mind.

Something started tingling in the back of his mind and he concentrated on it as if he was nursing a fragile flame.

Turning, she stumbled and then caught herself on the table.

A picture of a black panther and a grey wolf leaping towards each other appeared behind his closed eyelids and he smiled.

She stealthily approached the settee not needing sentinel senses to see in the gloom; she knew exactly where to find the person who'd done this to Iris and her.

His bond hummed and, like a golden arrow, sped out of the cottage ignoring the closed door and passing through a wall.

Slowly, the knife raised and she swayed for a moment as her headache increased.

The golden arrow flew through the dark and the rain.

She straightened and with a low moan stood over the man on the settee.

The bond found its target and his smile deepened in pleasure as it was acknowledged.

For a moment, she stood staring at the man that could have been the solution she and Iris had so badly needed.

Relief and a feeling of satisfaction came back to him along the golden thread.

She raised her hand up above her head.

He opened his eyes.

The knife swung down in an unwavering arc.

Chapter 19

"Did you see that?" Karl whispered to Lisa, his sentinel.

The Pair were positioned to the left of the cottage trying to find some shelter from the elements under a large oak. The sentinel stared in open-mouthed amazement at the panther and wolf that suddenly appeared in front of them. For a moment they stared at each other and then the two animals ran off into the dark.

"Do you think…? I mean…"

"Spirit animals," Lisa almost breathed the words. "I've heard of them, but I thought it was just a myth."

"Like dark guides?"

"What d'you mean?"

"I think Sandburg's a dark guide."

"Dark guides don't exist."

"No, listen. Look how strong Ellison's become since he bonded. And don't you feel that there's something about his guide that just isn't like other guides? And now we're seeing spirit animals?"

Despite the seriousness of the situation the sentinel stared at her guide. "What something? I haven't felt anything."

"Well, I'm not the only one. Other guides have felt the same as me."

Lisa was silent a moment as she digested this. "It's not the moment to be discussing this. And even if it were the case the Senior Sentinel Prime would have told us if he'd wanted us to know."

"True. But imagine…?"

The woman snorted at her guide's wide-eyed expression. "Concentrate on the matter at hand."

The reply was almost too soft for even enhanced hearing. "Yes, oh my mighty sentinel."

She shook her head ruefully and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and was comforted in return when he covered it with one of his.

Jim, surrounded by his second in command and his guide, Langston and Michaels, started when a large, black panther and a ferocious looking wolf appeared out of the pouring rain. Amanda gasped and then calmed when she realised that neither animal showed even one spot of water on their coats. The wolf leapt up and put its large paws on its human's sentinel's chest and while the panther let out a mighty roar, it licked a bristly cheek. The two animals then simply vanished.

"My God," the female guide whispered.

"Blair!" Ellison's head swung round and he stared at the cottage. "He's alive. I can feel him, but we have to hurry."

As quickly and as quietly as possible, they made their way right up to the cottage. Suddenly, Jim's vision went dark and when it cleared again he was staring up into Alex Barnes' mad face. She moved and he saw the large knife she was holding above her head. It was then that he realised that he was seeing through his guide's eyes. She was going to kill him! In one smooth moment he straightened, lifted his gun and shot through the door.

Rafe and Brown came to a slithering halt as the sound of a shot rang out through the forest. They looked at each other and then doubled their efforts to get to the cottage. After more than ten wet, exhausting, slippery minutes they were able to make out the building and the Clan members standing around the door. Examining their faces they were relieved to see no obvious signs of distress. Pushing through the crowd they made their way inside and were forced to stop when their feet came up against a female corpse lying on the floor. The head was a bloody mess, but the blond hair they could see peaking out under the red gave them a good idea of who it was.

A whimper made them look up. Fortunately, enough torches held by Clan members were on in the small room that they could clearly see what was going on. Ellison was seated on the battered settee and, mindless of the blood and brain matter that coated everything including the man in his arms, was crooning soft reassurances into his guide's ear. Ropes were lying on either side of them and it didn't need a lot of guesses to know what they'd been used for. The whimper came again and they realised that the noises were coming from Sandburg.

Brown grimaced. He'd grown to like the guide who was always ready to help anyone in the bullpen. He certainly didn't deserve to be kidnapped and then covered with his kidnapper's bodily fluids. Looking round again he saw Edwards and a Pair kneeling next to a dark haired woman who was lying completely still on the floor, eyes open. The Pair were obviously medics of some kind as they had a bag open full of medical supplies and were doing medical things to her. He went over and joined them. At first he thought the woman was dead, but then he noticed her chest move fractionally as she took in a shallow breath.

"What happened?" He asked and felt Rafe come up behind him.

Edwards stood and pulled his guide to his side. "We were outside waiting to go in when Ellison shot through the door and then crashed through it himself. We thought he'd lost it. Thought his bond had been broken, but when we got in we found her," he jerked his head towards Barnes' body, "on the floor clutching a big knife and poor Sandburg tied to the sofa covered in blood and other things. Poor bugger," he added feelingly and drew his guide even closer to his body. "He was almost catatonic, but went completely wild when we tried to touch him. Fortunately, Ellison managed to get through to him. Don't know how he knew where she was to be able to take her out like that."

"And her?" Rafe lifted his chin to the still unmoving woman on the floor.

"Don't know. She's presumably the dark-haired woman seen driving the car when they kidnapped Sandburg, but for the moment we know nothing more. We found her like this: totally unresponsive. And Sandburg's not in a condition to be able to make a statement."

"Edwards?"

They all looked over to where a sentinel who was a forensics officer at the PD was holding up a handbag in a gloved hand.

"Ah." The brief exclamation showed that Edwards had understood something fairly significant that was totally incomprehensible to the two detectives.

"What?" Asked Brown.

Edwards glanced over to the Senior Sentinel Pair. He didn't know just exactly what Brown and Rafe knew about dark sentinels and guides and he didn't want to give away too much information. Fortunately, they were interrupted when a ragged 'No' exploded in the room. Blair lifted up his bloodied arm to push away Amanda who was standing next to the Pair a bottle of water and a cloth in her hands.

"Chief, shh. Calm down. All she wants to do is to clean you up. You're covered with… things," Ellison finished lamely. He tightened his arms around the trembling man trying to impart feelings of comfort and security. He'd dialled his sense of smell right down, but even so, the smell of blood, brains and urine was hard to miss.

"Don't touch me," Sandburg's voice was small and quavering. It didn't need sentinel sight to see the man had reached the end of his tether and was holding onto his marbles with the last bit of fuel in his tank and any other expression you wanted to use.

The female guide looked to her Clan leader for guidance. Sandburg had also refused examination by a paramedic. Fortunately, he hadn't objected to his sentinel using his senses to check him over and Ellison was pleased to note that apart from his torn wrist and a few new bruises he was mostly suffering from dehydration and shock. More importantly, his guide needed to bond and to be perfectly honest, so did he.

"Sandburg," he waited until large, blue eyes looked up at him, "would you let me clean you? I promise to be gentle." He bent his head when he almost missed the whispered entreaty.

"Too many people."

Of course, his barriers were most certainly non-existent with the stress, let alone the effect the drugs would have had on them.

"Once everyone leaves, I'll clean you then, okay?" A curly head nodded against his chest as his guide let out a trembling breath and lay back into the one place where he felt safe. Ellison looked up and raised his voice, "I'd like you all to leave for a moment." He felt slightly guilty knowing that it meant they all had to go back into the rain, but quite frankly, he didn't care. Right at this moment, his guide was his priority.

The guides and sentinels started packing up and moving towards the door. Brown and Rafe looked round in amazement.

Rafe put a hand on Edwards' arm. "Hold on a moment. This is a crime scene and there's an injured person here. You can't just leave."

"We can't do anything for her here," the paramedic guide spoke up. "We'll call for transport. She needs to be in hospital as soon as possible."

"But what about the body?" Brown interjected. This was NOT how police officers behaved at a crime scene.

"She's not going anywhere."

"I… can't believe…"

Edwards suddenly turned and pushed his face close to the detective's. "As you said, you're out of your jurisdiction. This is Clan business and it takes precedence. And besides, do you really want to piss him off?" With a nod of his head, he indicated the Senior Sentinel Prime who was glaring at them from the settee.

Grumbling softly about having to go back out in the rain, the two detectives allowed themselves to be led out of the cottage. Knowing that it was merely symbolic, Edwards pulled the damaged door shut behind him. Shivering slightly as he adjusted his dials, he went to organise the Clan - not everyone needed to hang around in the rain - and everything else that was necessary when there was a death and injured people to take care of.

Sandburg gave a little sigh as silence once more reigned in the little cottage. One part of his brain was wondering whether the tension he was feeling was how a sentinel felt when their senses were spiking while the other part was reeling with exhaustion. He pressed his head into the chest he was leaning against and listened to the strong heart beating under his ear. It rumbled as his sentinel spoke and he felt the words as much as he heard them.

"Chief, they're all gone. It's just you and me now. Can I clean you?"

Blair nodded and started to ease himself up. Jim helped him and was amused to see that the other man's hand never lost contact with his arm, which made things a little awkward. However, if that was what his guide needed to feel better, then that was what his guide was going to get. Bending down to get the bottle of water and cloth that Michaels had left for him was an exercise in contortionism, but he managed it. He wetted the cloth and with a gentleness that only a mother could emulate, he started to clean Alex Barnes' blood and brain from Sandburg's face.

"I didn't know if you were coming."

"Oh, Chief. Don't you know, I'll always come for you?"

"Well, I've not been a good guide to you, have I?"

Ellison stopped for a moment and looked at the man. "I know we started off on the wrong foot; I didn't want a guide and YOU certainly didn't want a sentinel. And there are things that we need to discuss and sort out and I owe you an apology. No." He cupped a hand around Blair's cheek when he would turn away and looked straight into his eyes. "No, don't protest. I didn't want to bond, but now that I have you I wouldn't go back to being alone again. Not for anything."

For a moment the younger man held his breath and he stared into his sentinel's eyes as if he could see into the man's soul. And maybe, Jim thought, with his emphatic abilities he could. He continued gently wiping the other man's face and felt it when his guide's body relaxed as all the tension left him.

"O… okay," Blair said eventually. "We do have lots of things we need to sort out, but later. For now, could we… could… I mean, could we bond?"

Jim's smile was gentle, but his heart was jumping for joy. "Any time you want. All you have to do is ask."

He hadn't finished cleaning his guide completely, but that could wait. This was the first time that Blair had asked to bond since that first traumatic bonding in the loft. Climbing back onto the settee he wrapped his arms round the smaller man and buried his nose into his neck. They sank back onto the thin and lumpy cushions.

"Claimed and marked, my sentinel."

"Claimed and marked, my guide."

Chapter 20

Blair blinked then opened his eyes. 'Oookay, I see my life is continuing in the fashion it's adopted recently,' he murmured to himself staring up at a white ceiling. 'However, I am getting majorly pissed off with this waking up in places different to where I'd lost consciousness.' He turned his head and recognised his bedroom in the loft. The light peeking through his curtains told him that it was late morning and that meant he'd been out for hours. A knock on the wall next to where the curtains hung in place of a door to his room made him jump.

"Don't worry," Jim replied as he entered, "I'm an ex-Ranger, a detective in Major Crimes and a sentinel so I think I can manage your bedroom."

The young guide snorted and then realised what the other man was carrying in his hand. "Is that coffee?"

"Uh, huh." The sentinel put out his other hand and helped Blair sit up in his bed. He very carefully said nothing about the pillow marks on his guide's face or the way that his hair puffed up in a halo around his head.

"What about house rule number 182 about no foodstuffs in my bedroom?"

Jim handed him the mug, opened the curtains to let the sun stream in and sat down in the chair in front of the small desk. "My rules, so I can break them if I wish."

They grinned at each other. Despite the issues between them that still had to be resolved there was a new easiness in their relationship.

"Um, how did I get here?" Sandburg asked noting that he was dressed in a clean T-shirt and his damaged wrist had been bandaged. Awkwardly with his casted arm, he lifted up his blanket and saw he was wearing different boxers to the ones he'd been kidnapped in. "Did YOU change me?"

"How d'you feel?" Jim countered with a question of his own.

"You tell me." The words were hard, but the knowing look in his eye took the sting out of them.

"Temp's fine, but you have a bit of a headache. You're still a bit dehydrated and you need to eat. Your wounds aren't infected and your broken arm is knitting nicely. The cast should be off next week. Your lip could do with some ice and the last bit of the dampener should be gone from your system by lunch time." He stopped as he saw Blair's eyes widen and his mouth drop open.

"You can tell all that just by looking at me?" He was even more amazed when the sentinel went bright red and closely examined a piece of lint on his trousers.

"Iexaminedyouwhileyouweresleeping," he mumbled.

"I beg your pardon. You need to speak up. I'm not a sentinel, you know."

The piece of lint must have been really interesting as Jim lowered his head even more. "I examined you while you were sleeping."

"Oh, okay." He let that slide knowing how sentinels acted around their guides. "How did I get here, anyway? Last thing I remember was being in that place. With… with…" Everything that had happened the day before came rushing back; the kidnapping, the threats, the stuff he'd done with his empathy, the bullet coming through the door killing… "Oh, God," he swallowed.

Blair shuddered. Oh, yes, he remembered seeing the knife descending and thinking it was all over for him. Then the next minute her head exploded and he was covered in blood and other things too horrible for him to contemplate. "No, not Barnes. Iris."

"As far as I know, she's still alive."

"But is… Is she okay?"

Ellison leant over and put a comforting hand on his arm. "Look, Blair. You'd been kidnapped and they were going to flat line you. Break our bond." Despite the seriousness of the subject, Sandburg almost smiled at the righteous indignation in the sentinel's voice at the idea. "You were protecting yourself. You did what you had to do. I'm proud of you."

The following silence was broken by Blair's stomach rumbling loudly.

"Hungry?"

He jumped on the change of subject. "No. Yes. Starving. But first, how did I get here? How did you find me? What happened after we bonded?"

"You fell asleep."

"Jiiim!"

"Okay. How about I tell you everything while you eat? I got some sandwiches from that deli near Rainier."

"Natural Earth? But that's miles away and it's vegetarian only. You're not vegetarian are you? No, stupid," he admonished himself. "He worships at the holy shrine of Wonderburger so sacred to all cops." Blair managed to ease himself out of his bed with a little help from Ellison and it was with a triumphant smile that he stood up straight and stretched.

Jim blinked. This was the first time he'd seen the man smile with such unrestrained pleasure. His whole face had lit up and the sentinel found that he just had to smile with him.

"Funny, very funny, Sandburg." He helped the younger man into some sweats and then they shuffled out of the bedroom as Blair, now that he was moving, was beginning to feel every ache and pain from his ordeal.

"Ow, ow, ow. God, I feel like I went three rounds with Mike Tyson."

"Yep, You'll be sore for a while. Once you've eaten I'll run you a hot bath with some Epsom Salts. That'll help."

"That sounds good."

Once seated at the dining table and Blair was tucking into his tofu and mung bean sprout on wholemeal while Jim ate his surprisingly delicious hummus and roasted red pepper pita, the guide made a 'come on' gesture with his hand. "Okay," he said, "spill. What happened? How'd you find me? And how come you're being so nice to me?"

Jim reddened and looked down at his food.

"No, oh sorry, man. I didn't mean it like that. You weren't rotten to me before. It's just like you were being nice to me because I'm your guide and you had to do it. This is… well…" He indicated his sandwich. "Just more personal. You know what I mean?"

The detective nodded, but didn't look up.

"Jim." He waited until the other man raised his head. "Thanks. For everything." Blair was pleased to see a small smile appear on Ellison's lips and the clenching of the jaw relaxed a fraction. "So, oh mighty sentinel, tell me how you came to be outside that particular cottage just as that loony tunes was about to fillet me?" He smiled when he heard an angry growl rumbling low in his sentinel's throat.

CCC CCC CCC CCC

Blair knew that Jim's jaw was dancing like a cat on a hot tin roof, but he ignored it. He could understand his sentinel's angst and in fact, felt a small amount himself. However, he also knew that he had to do this. So, squaring his shoulders and taking in a deep breath, he pushed open the large imposing door and entered the building Ellison almost stepping on his heels. The first impression he got of the Cascade Sentinel/Guide Psychiatric Clinic was a sort of hushed calm. The pretty, young woman sitting at the impressive reception desk caught his eye and he gave her a huge grin.

"Down, boy," murmured Jim.

"Can I help you?" Asked the blond-haired goddess.

Sandburg went to open his mouth, but Jim got in first, "Senior Sentinel Prime Ellison and Senior Guide Prime Sandburg to see Dr Markham."

"Certainly, sir." She indicated a group of plush looking chairs. "If you'd like to wait, I'll inform the doctor you're here."

The two men sat down and Blair leant towards the sentinel. "What's with the titles, man? You don't like using them normally."

"I know, but sometimes, when you want something you use what you have."

"Uh huh." The guide looked down at his knees and noticed his left one was bopping up and down. He made a conscious effort to stop it. "You didn't need to come, you know."

"Chief, there is no way in hell that I'm allowing you to visit someone who kidnapped you without me with you even if she's basically a vegetable." He didn't miss Blair wincing at his description and he leant forward and put a hand on his knee. "Don't. You did what you had to do. And I'm very grateful that you did what did, to survive. I'm very pleased that my guide was returned to me."

Blair gave him a rueful smile looking up at him from under his lashes. The moment was saved from turning into a Hallmark instant by the arrival of the doctor. A tall, almost cadaverous woman, Dr Markham had a warm inviting smile.

"Senior Sentinel Prime Ellison and Senior Guide Prime Sandburg," she held out a hand in greeting. "Glad you could make it."

The two men rose and Ellison took her hand first. "Well, I must admit I wasn't too keen on the idea, but my guide can be very persuasive when he wants something."

She turned towards the younger man to shake his hand. "Guide Sandburg…"

"Blair, please."

"Okay. Then please call me Janine. I realise it must be very difficult for you to be here, but I understand. We all need closure and if this visit will help I'm happy to be of assistance."

"Quite frankly, I'd be more than happy never to see her again," Jim said acerbically. "She kidnapped my guide and was going to flat line him. She got off lightly."

The sentinel sighed. "Okay. Let's get this over with." Although reluctant to be present, he was here to support his guide.

In the two months since Sandburg's ordeal they'd made huge steps in building up a strong pairing, but perhaps more importantly they'd become friends. The grad student was back at Rainier teaching and completing his PhD. Unfortunately, they had no concrete evidence against Chancellor Edwards, so she was still a thorn in his side. However, having the Senior Sentinel Prime of Cascade taking an active interest in his guide's studies meant that her fangs had been pulled somewhat. Sandburg had also become a valued member of Major Crimes and not just because of his guiding of Ellison, but also because his wealth of knowledge was making essential contributions to solving crimes. And later in the year they were going to visit Naomi Sandburg's grave in Colorado.

Walking through the quiet corridors made Jim's skin crawl despite the extensive use of white noise generators. Or perhaps, because of them. To take his mind off where they were he watched his guide as he talked with the good doctor. Blair was obviously spooked about the visit, but looking at how he was speaking animatedly waving his hands around you'd have to be a sentinel to notice. He'd accompanied the young man when he'd been reintegrated at Rainier and was pleased to see how he'd been welcomed back – mostly by the female students he'd had to note. There'd been an uncomfortable moment when his friend Lee had accosted the sentinel in the corridor, but the fellow grad student had calmed down when Blair had taken him aside and explained things.

The biggest surprise for Jim had been listening to the young man give a lecture to a packed auditorium. His guide had bounced in front of the podium and, despite knowing nothing about anthropology, Ellison had found the lecture fascinating. Blair's teaching method was clear and full of little anecdotes, which brought the subject to life. However, the fondest memory he had of that day was when Sandburg's mentor, a Dr Stoddard, had arrived in his office carrying a large brown envelope. The two of them had hugged and if their eyes had been extra bright, no one said anything.

Stoddard had then handed Blair the envelope and to the young guide's delight it had held the last draft of his dissertation he'd sent to his dissertation committee. It meant that instead of having to start from scratch, he only had to make up a few weeks of work. It was at that moment that Jim had produced the present that he'd bought for Blair the day of his kidnapping. The joy on his guide's face when he saw the laptop and the hug he'd received had made his inner sentinel puff up in pride.

He came back to the present as they came to a stop in front of a door. Dr Markham put her hand on the handle, but before opening she turned towards the two men.

"You could find this distressing. Iris is catatonic and unable to do anything for herself except breathe, so there's a lot of equipment. Don't be alarmed by it. Okay, ready?"

Blair bit his lip and rubbed his palms on his thighs. Jim moved a bit closer and sliding his hand under the rich curls he gripped the back of his guide's neck. He sent encouragement down their link and got a small smile in reply. At Sandburg's nod, the doctor opened the door and they filed into the room. Despite the white noise generators Ellison could hear Blair's heart beating like a piston engine. Approaching the bed they all stared down at the dark haired woman lying there.

Dr Markham picked up the chart clipped to the end of the bed and started reading it giving them some modicum of privacy. Blair took in a deep breath and moved closer until he was staring at the slack features of Iris Johnson. She was lying on her back staring unblinkingly at the ceiling. A number of drips ran into her arms and various bags hanging below the blanket held fluids that neither man wanted to examine too closely. Ellison sent out his senses and felt – nothing.

"Oh God," Blair's hand came up to cover his mouth.

At his interjection the doctor put down the chart and went to stand on the other side of the bed.

"She's not feeling anything. No pain, no hunger. Nothing. She's at peace." The two men looked up at the doctor surprised at her declaration. She smiled sadly at them. "I did some research on her when she got here. Did you know that she'd been married?"

They shook their heads silently.

"Her husband, David Lash, was a strong guide who unfortunately had been severely abused by his mother. He bonded with a sentinel who worked for the FBI. The sentinel was transferred to Sacramento and Lash abandoned her. They didn't know that she was pregnant and in her distress she lost the baby. She then met up with an Artie Parkman who turned out to be a drug dealer and got her addicted to cocaine.

"When in rehab she met Barnes and the pair of them went on a crime and killing spree. She was a very unhappy lady who'd suffered a lot. Sad, I know, but that doesn't excuse her actions." She looked down blushing a bit at her impassioned explanation.

"No, it doesn't," Jim said firmly.

"Thank you," Sandburg said quietly and taking one last look at Iris, walked out of the room.

Ellison found him leaning against the wall to the right of the entrance his face lifted up to catch the sun dancing between the grey clouds. He joined him and slung an arm around his shoulders.

"You all right?"

"Yeah, man." They stood in companionable silence for a few minutes. "I still feel guilty about doing that to her, but…" he held up his hand as his sentinel went to protest, "I wasn't going to risk our bond and if it was the only way of stopping them, well..."

"Lunch?" Jim asked pushing away from the wall, but keeping physical contact with his guide.

He had to smile at his sentinel's answer to difficult emotional moments. "Yeah, I really wasn't in the mood for food this morning."

"I noticed. I'm not happy about it. You need to eat more."

Blair rolled his eyes and they moved towards Ellison's vehicle. "My treat as thanks for coming with me."

Ellison opened the passenger door and jogged round to the driver's side. "Great! Wonderburger here we come."

"I'm paying, so I choose."

"I'm NOT eating sprouts."

"And anyway, you had Wonderburger two days ago."

"How do you know that? You were at Rainier all day."

"Ah, we guides have ways of knowing these things."

The light blue Ford pulled out of the car park and drove towards Cascade.

"Jim?"

"Yeah." He was beginning to recognise that tone of voice. It meant that his guide was working out something in his head.

"When I was in that hut. Waiting for you, just before you came. There was a moment, like, well… it was like you were in my head. Not like our bond, but as if you were really there. It's hard to explain, but…"

"Hey, I know what you mean." Jim was surprised at himself discussing this. He hated the mystic shit that came with being a sentinel. "For a moment I could see with your eyes. That's how I knew where to shoot."